San Francisco Taxicab Commission

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About Us

San Francisco Taxi Commissioners

• Paul Gillespie, President
• Patricia Breslin, Vice President
• Richard Benjamin
• Tom Oneto
• Min Paek
• Susan Suval     
• Arthur Tom

Taxi Commission History

In August 1997, Mayor Willie Brown created the Taxi Task Force, an advisory body comprised of representatives of taxi industry groups and organization to research taxi service and standards in the City of San Francisco.  Supervisor (presently Mayor) Gavin Newsom chaired this body.
 
In 1998, Supervisor Newsom championed the successful ballot measure to create the San Francisco Taxi Commission, taking over regulatory and administrative duties previously held by the Police Commission.  The Taxicab Commission is a self-sustaining department - entirely funded through collection of permit fees.  Current Executive Director Jordanna Thigpen was appointed in July 2008 after previous years of service as Acting Director and Deputy Director. Current staff include Vicky Siu, Tamara Odisho, Danelle Carey, and Scott Leon. Mayor Gavin Newsom retains authority to appoint seven Commissioners (who meet twice monthly) to serve a two-year term, with one member from each of the following interest groups:

• Senior and disabled community
• Driver Representative (a taxicab driver who does not hold a taxicab medallion)
• Taxicab company (either a medallion holder or a company representative)
• Hospitality industry
• Labor community
• Neighborhoods
• General Public not affiliated with any of the other enumerated categories

The Commission’s focus is to improve taxicab policy that promotes better customer relations in San Francisco. Taxicab drivers are vital to San Francisco’s hospitality and tourism industry.  Often taxicab drivers are the first point of contact with persons entering our beautiful city.  For these reasons, the Taxi Commission has worked to improve driver training and dispatch services to ensure taxicab vehicles are safe by setting vehicle standards and to require security cameras in every cab.  The Taxi Commission has recently launched a campaign to educate the public to stay away from out-of-town taxis and illegally operating limousines.