Taxi cab protest creates traffic jam at SFO

Alan Wang Image
ByAlan Wang KGO logo
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Taxi cab protest creates traffic jam at SFO
Taxi drivers protesting Uber and Lyft have created a giant traffic snarl at SFO as they refuse to pick up passengers.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KGO) -- Taxi drivers are refusing to pick up passengers at San Francisco International Airport's Domestic Arrival Terminal in a protest against Uber and Lyft.

For two hours Monday night, roughly 300 taxi cabs circled the terminal loop and made it difficult for anyone to get in.

The cab drivers are demonstrating against Lyft and Uber drivers who are allowed to pick up their passengers curbside. Taxis have to stage in a parking lot, line up in a queue and pick up their passengers in the outside lane. They're upset because cab drivers have to pay for special permits and commercial licenses. Uber and Lyft drivers do not.

"There won't be any more taxis at San Francisco airport, is that what passengers want?" said taxi driver Barry Korengold. "Uber surge prices, they price gouge. If the cabs aren't there to bring the price down that's what they're going to do all the time. Our prices are regulated, their's aren't."

The protest was supposed to end at 10:55 p.m. Monday and it appears things were calming down. The cab drivers say they may keep up these demonstrations until they get fair treatment.