SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) — The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors voted on Tuesday to work towards a mobile phone application connecting passengers to taxis throughout the city.
The legislation would create an electronic taxi access network that would track data while forming an Internet accessible centralized dispatch service.
The board voted unanimously to amend the transportation code in part to allow the mobile phone service to be implemented, MTA spokesman Paul Rose said.
The legislation stems from the growing competition from other rideshare and car service programs, such as Lyft, Sidecar and Uber that take advantage of the connectivity of smartphone customers.
Support for the city's proposed taxi application appears split within the cab industry, longtime driver Brad Newsham said.