SFO extends TNC permit program despite taxi driver complaints

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco International Airport has extended a pilot program allowing transportation network companies to operate at the airport through February despite objections from taxi drivers who say their competitors are clogging traffic and disobeying airport rules.

The pilot program, which covers Uber, Lyft, Sidecar and Wingz, will allow the airport to study the impact of the new form of ground transportation, which has only been legally operating at the airport since

last fall, according to airport spokesman Doug Yakel.

Taxi drivers today said they are seeing a major impact on traffic at airport terminals from Uber and Lyft vehicles.

"Drivers are complaining they can't get to the curb, the curbs are flooded with TNCs," said Bob Cassinelli, a consultant with Yellow Cab Co-Op. In addition, taxi drivers allege that many drivers with the TNCs are violating airport rules by circling for rides at the terminals, a practice they referred to as "trolling," instead of waiting in cell phone lots until they are summoned by a passenger.

Taxi industry officials today released a video which they said showed such violations in action, and complained about a lack of enforcement.

"We feel this is very unfair competition," said Barry Korengold with the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance.

Yakel said the airport conducts daily enforcement on all ground transportation including TNCs, and has a system that allows it to track vehicles around the airport and detect behavior such as trolling.

"Every form of ground transportation has drivers that follow the rules and drivers that don't follow the rules," Yakel said.

The airport plans to use the pilot period to look at traffic impacts and will consider in February whether changes are needed in areas such as roadway planning or staging areas, Yakel said.

Efforts to reach Uber and Lyft representatives today for comment have not been successful.