GU

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3Taxi & Ramp TaxiServices

SF Paratransit Rider’s Guide 3Taxi & Ramp Taxi Service

This Guide is available in

accessible formats.

Please contact SF Paratransit at

(415) 351-7000

TTY (415) 351-3942

www.sfparatransit.com

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GUIDE 3Table of Contents5 Introduction5 SF Paratransit Service Area6 Getting Taxi Services7 Selecting a Taxi Company to Call8 When to Call for a Taxi12 Hailing a Taxi13 Taking and Paying for a Taxi Ride18 Sharing Taxi Rides20 Attendants & Companions20 Traveling with Children21 SF Paratransit Debit Card

Monthly Allotment/Requesting Additional Value

Purchase Date and Adding ValuePre-Purchasing and Storing Value –

Reserve AccountUnused Value

Table of Contents (Cont’d) Balance Check

Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Debit Cards

33 Misuse of SF Paratransit Debit Card35 Other Information36 Participating Taxi Companies as of

July 201738 Participating Taxi Companies in

Northern San Mateo County

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IntroductionThis San Francisco ParatransitTaxi Rider’s Guide will behelpful if you are registered touse the SF Paratransit Taxiprogram. Please read this alongwith Guide 1, the GeneralInformation Rider’s Guide, whichwill provide you with moreinformation about SF Paratransitservices and programs.

SF Paratransit Service Area Paratransit taxi services areprovided 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek, 365 days a year. Service isprovided throughout SanFrancisco, to Treasure Island,and to northern Daly City inSan Mateo County. The Daly

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City boundary encompasses a ¾mile zone from any San FranciscoMuni route.

The service area does not includeeither the San FranciscoInternational Airport or the OaklandInternational Airport. For trips todestinations outside of the servicearea, you must use other regionalparatransit services, which aredescribed in Guide 1.

If you are not sure if your destinationis in the SF Paratransit Taxi servicearea, please call SF Paratransit at 1-415-351-7052.

Getting Taxi ServicesPlease note that the SF ParatransitTaxi program is not an “Americanswith Disabilities Act” (ADA)

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paratransit service.Individuals must first bedetermined ADA-eligible forparatransit van service (SFAccess) before they can beoffered paratransit taxi services.For more information about the SFAccess van service see our Rider’sGuide 2.

Selecting a Taxi Company to CallOnce you are registered in the SFParatransit Taxi program, you maycall any cab company in theprogram. All cab companies in SanFrancisco are required by Cityordinance to participate in the SFParatransit program and mustaccept payment with the SFParatransit Debit Card. See SFParatransit Debit Card

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section on page21 for furtherinformation.Sometimes a cabcompany may fallout of compliancewith program

rules and temporarily not be able toparticipate in the SF Paratransitprogram. To be sure that the cabcompany you select is participatingin the SF Paratransit Taxi program,please call our Taxi Hotline at 1-415-351-7090.

When To Call for a TaxiCall the cab company as soon as youknow you will need a taxi, but at least30 minutes before you absolutelyneed the ride. If you have a set

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appointment, be sure toallow ample time to get there.Even though taxi rides aredirect, you need to allow enoughtime for the driver to get throughtraffic. For wheelchair accessibleramp taxi service, since there arefewer vehicles available, werecommend that you call one hourin advance of your preferred pick uptime.

A taxi is considered on time if itarrives within 30 minutes from thetime that you placed your request.To report repeatedly late service orany other problems with taxiservice, please call the Paratransitoffice at 1-415-351-7052 or 311.This will help us improve ourservice.

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When you request a taxi, listencarefully to the questions thedispatcher asks. The more detail yougive, the better service the cabcompany is able to give you. Please

notify the taxidispatcher if you wanta sedan vehicle;efforts will be madeto accommodate yourrequest. If you use awheelchair (or areriding with someoneusing a wheelchair),please be sure to

immediately tell the taxi companydispatcher that you need a wheelchairaccessible ramp taxi.

During holidays, eves of holidays,Friday afternoons, or at any time

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when the weather is bad,you may find it more difficultto get taxi service. Please keepthis in mind when requestingsedan or ramp taxi service, andallow extra time. If you have aspecific appointment and you donot want to risk delays, you maywish to use our SF Access vanservice. Please refer to the SF AccessGuide 2 for more information.

After 20 minutes, if your taxi has notarrived, call back to check on itsstatus. If you decide to arrangealternative transportation or areable to hail a taxi on the streets,please be sure to call and cancelyour request before callinganother cab company. Failureto call will waste resources

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and could lead to taxi dispatchersidentifying youas someonewho requestscabs and doesn’tcancel. Thiscould lead topoor taxi servicefor you in thefuture.

Hailing a TaxiIf you are in a “well-cruised” part oftown, you may choose to hail a taxion the street. However, be sure thatthe taxicab you are hailingparticipates in the SF Paratransitprogram. If you are not sure, ask thedriver before boarding. If you aretransported and find out at yourdestination that the taxicab is non-

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participating, you will haveto pay the fare in cash oranother acceptable form ofpayment such as credit card. Wecannot reimburse you for thatfare. Please inform the SFParatransit office if you think thatyou were incorrectly told that a cabcompany is not participating in theSF Paratransit Program.

E-hailing of taxis is now available.For more information about e-hailingoptions, please call the SFParatransit at 1-415-351-7052 or visitour website atwww.sfparatransit.com.

Taking and Paying for a Taxi Ride When you get in the Taxi:

Present your SF ParatransitDebit Card to the driver

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before the start of the trip and tellhim/her your destination. The driverwill swipe your card to verify that youhave enough funds in your account to

pay for the trip. Ifyou do not haveenough value, youmay choose to usethe remainingamount on your SFParatransit DebitCard and pay theadditional cost ofyour trip with eithercash or a credit card.

If you don’t have any value in youraccount, you must pay for your entiretrip with another form of payment.See SF Paratransit Debit Card on page21 for additional information.

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The driver

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If you have more than $75in your account, the balancecheck swipe at the beginning ofthe trip will indicate $75+. This isto protect your privacy. If youwant to check the full balance ofyour SF Paratransit Debit Cardaccount, call toll free 1-877-SFTAXI-1(1-877-738-2941) or visitwww.sfparatransit.com. See BalanceCheck on page 30 for additionalinformation.

At the end of your trip:

The driver will tell you the cost ofthe trip from the taxi meter. Givethe driver your SF ParatransitDebit Card. The driver willswipe your card and then askif you would like to provide atip. Tipping is currently

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allowed with the SF ParatransitDebit Card (subject to change). It isYOUR CHOICE whether or not toprovide a tip. If you choose toprovide a tip, the system willautomatically calculate the tip at10% of the ride, up to a maximumof $2, and deduct it from your SFParatransit Debit Card accountbalance along with the fareamount. The driver will print tworeceipts – one for you to sign andreturn and one for you to keep foryour records. Your receipt willshow the remaining balance inyour SF Paratransit Debit Cardaccount after the trip you justcompleted. For your privacy, $75+will show on your receipt if youbalance is greater than $75.

If your debit card is not working or16

the machine processingthe debit card is notaccepting the card:

1. Make sure that you areusing an activated SF Paratransit debit card.

2. Ask your taxi driver to drive a couple of feet forward as you may be in a “dead zone,” preventing the necessary cellular reception to process the payment.

3. If still not processing, request that the taxi driver complete a paper Manual Receipt and have the driver call the phone number listed toobtain an approval code.

You should not be required

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to pay the fullmeter fare usingyour personalfunds if there aresufficient funds inyour SF Paratransitdebit card account.You may report thisto SF Paratransit by

calling us at 1-415-351-7052.

Sharing Taxi RidesDid you know you can share a taxiwith another Paratransit rider?Some good examples of ride-sharing include SF Paratransit-eligible riders who live in seniorhousing or other large buildingswith multiple units. By planningahead, these Paratransit riders canconsider sharing a ride to the

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grocery store by one riderpaying the going trip withtheir SF Paratransit debit cardand the other paying for thereturn ride with their card. Forride-sharing among three ormore riders, one rider can paythis week and another the nextweek and so on. Couples livingtogether and both registered to thetaxi program may want to considercoordinating their rides so theycan share a ride to appointments,the theater, or for other outings.Neighbors who are Paratransittaxi riders can ride together to aplay, museum, or the mall. For more information on ridesharing taxis with the SFParatransit program, please

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call us at 1-415-351-7052.

Attendants & CompanionsThe San Francisco TransportationCode allows you to ride in the taxiwith the maximum number ofpeople that can be safely securedand transported (usually four adults).No extra fares will be required for anattendant or additional passengers.

An attendant or any companionsmust start and end their ride withyou. Only the ADA-certified ridermay possess and use the SFParatransit Debit Card. An attendantor companion cannot under anycircumstances use your SFParatransit Debit Card.

Traveling with ChildrenIf you will be traveling with a child

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under the age of eight (8)who is less than four feet nineinches (4’9”) in height, youmust provide the child’s safetyseat so that you may properlysecure the child in it in accordancewith California law. Any child seatused on SF Paratransit must meetthe State of California standards fora child of that size and age. Thedriver will provide assistance ifnecessary.

SF Paratransit Debit CardThe SF Paratransit Debit Card is auniquely encoded debit card thatincludes your photo, eligibilityexpiration date, paratransit IDnumber and a 16 digit debit cardnumber. It is used to pay foryour SF Paratransit taxi

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trips, and it also serves as your SFParatransit ID card. When you firstreceive your SF Paratransit DebitCard, you must activate the card bycalling the toll free number providedwith your new card and following theinstructional prompts. Before you usethe card you must add value to it (seePurchase Date and Adding Value onpage 25). Make sure to sign your cardon the back. If you are unable to signthe card, print or have someone printUTS (unable to sign) for you in the

signatureblock.

Your SFParatransitDebit Cardcan only beused when

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you are in the taxi to payfor a SF Paratransit trip. It isillegal to allow anyone else touse your card. This action couldlead to suspension or revocationof your taxi riding privileges, andyou may be subject to criminalprosecution. The San FranciscoPolice Department helps monitor forfraud.

Monthly Allotment/RequestingAdditional ValueWhen you are first enrolled in the SFParatransit Taxi program, you willreceive a standard monthlyallotment. At that time, you mayrequest a higher monthlyallotment by filling out a briefform documenting your typicalmonthly trips. SF Paratransit

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staff will review your request andapprove an increase based on eligibleparatransit trips.

People who are conditionally eligibleare expected to only use paratransitservices for trips they cannot take onMuni or BART. Monthly SF ParatransitDebit Card limits will be strictlyenforced.

To request additional value for aspecific month due to an unanti-cipated increase in transportationneeds, you must complete a specialform. You may get this form at theSan Francisco Paratransit office oronline at www.sfparatransit.com. Inaddition to requesting additional taxivalue for more taxi trips, you mayalso use the SF Access van programfor eligible paratransit trips.

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Purchase Date andAdding Value To use your SF Paratransit DebitCard, you must add value to it, bymailing a check or money order tothe SF Paratransit office (preferred)or by going into the office to pay.Coming soon, you will also be ableto purchase debit card value bycompleting a credit card paymentslip and mailing it to our office.When purchasing debit card value bymail, please allow sufficient time foryour payment to be received andprocessed. SF Paratransit is notresponsible for the loss or delay ofmaterials sent through the mail.In-person payments are acceptedby Visa, MasterCard, cash,check, or money order.

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Your monthly purchase date will beestablished on the date of your firstpurchase.

If you add value to your Paratransitdebit card ten or more days after yourdesignated purchase date, we willassign you a new purchase date. Forexample if your purchase date wasthe 5th of the month and you don’tpurchase until the 18th, your newpurchase date will be the 18th of the

month.

You may checkyour purchase dateby calling toll free1-877-SFTAXI-1(1-877-738-2941)and following theprompts.

To add value to your card by mail,26

SF Paratransit68 12th Street, 1st Floor

San Francisco, CA 94103

make your check or moneyorder payable to SFParatransit. Be sure to writeyour SF Paratransit Debit Card orParatransit ID number on yourcheck. You will receive $30 in taxiservice for every $6.00 you pay(subject to change).

We encourage you to add value toyour SF Paratransit Debit Card bymail, but if you choose to go to theSF Paratransit office, you mustpresent your SF Paratransit DebitCard (which is also your SFParatransit photo ID) to our staff. Ifsomeone else goes into the officeto pay for you, they will also berequired to present your SFParatransit Debit Card as wellas their own government-

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issued identification. For moreinformation on your payment options,please call our Finance Department at1-415-351-7051.

Pre-Purchasing and Storing Value– Reserve AccountWith the SF Paratransit Debit Card,you may purchase value before yourassigned purchase date, which will bestored in your “reserve account” untilyour purchase date. You may pre-payup to 12 months in advance. Then,each month on your purchase date,the value of your monthly allotmentwill automatically become availableon your SF Paratransit Debit Card. Ifyou pre-pay and use all of yourmonthly allotment before yourpurchase date, the value that is stored

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will not be transferred fromthe reserve account to your SFParatransit Debit Card until yournext purchase date.

Unused ValueIf you have three months-worth ofunused SF Paratransit Debit Cardvalue on an active card, we cannotadd value until at least one month’sallotment has been used (unusedvalue on an active card is differentfrom pre-paid, stored value). Forexample, if your purchase amount is$90, and you purchase your full SFParatransit Debit Card monthlyallotment for three months but donot use any of the value ($270),we will not be able to add valueto your SF Paratransit DebitCard until you use at least

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one month’s worth of value ($90). Anypayments made when your card valueis at its maximum will be held in yourreserve account.

Balance CheckThere are four ways to check your SFParatransit Debit Card balance:

Call the toll free automated 1voice response system at 1-877-SFTAXI-1 (1-877-738-2941) and follow prompts.

Ask any San Francisco taxi2driver to swipe your card to giveyou your balance. Remember, if you have more than $75 worthof value on your card, forprivacy reasons the receipt willsay $75+.

Call the SF Paratransit office at 330

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1-415-351-7052 andask a customer servicerepresentative to check your balance.

Coming soon, you will be4able to log onto www.sfparatransit.com, theSF Paratransit website, and check the balance on your account. Please call the SF Paratransit office at 1-415-351-7052 for more information.

Lost, Stolen, or Damaged DebitCardsLost, stolen, or damaged SFParatransit Debit Cards must bereported as soon as possible tothe SF Paratransit office bycalling 1-877-738-2941 (24

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hours/day, 7 days per week) or 1-415-351-7051 (during business hours).

Once a card is reported as lost, stolen,or damaged, it will be immediatelydeactivated, and the balance at thattime will be added to a newly-issuedparatransit debit card. The new cardwill be available for pick-up in personat the SF Paratransit office or can bemailed out to the registered rider viafirst class U. S. Mail. New orreplacement cards may only bemailed out to the registered rider’smailing address on file with the SFParatransit office.

The Paratransit office is notresponsible for any account balancevalue that may have been used beforethe rider reported the card as lost orstolen. A rider may have his/her debit

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card replaced for free onlyone time per three-yearperiod. After the first freereplacement, cards will bereplaced at a fee of $5 per card.

Riders should keep their paratransitdebit cards away from all magnetsand cell phones to limit thepossibility that the card will getdamaged.

Misuse of SF Paratransit DebitCardYou are expected to adhere to therules of the SF Paratransit Taxiprogram at all times. Programviolations may include but are notlimited to:

Use of your SF Paratransit•Debit Card withinsufficient funds

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Use of an inactive SF Paratransit•Debit Card

Use of your SF Paratransit Debit•Card for a ‘round trip’ or ‘waittrip’

Use of your SF Paratransit Debit•Card for a fare exceeding theallowable limit

Use of your SF Paratransit Debit•Card for a trip that originates orterminates outside of the SFParatransit service area

Use of your SF Paratransit Debit•Card by anyone other thanyourself

Any evidence we obtain which pointsto the possible misuse or abuse of theSF Paratransit Taxi program mayresult in your suspension or

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revocation from theprogram. For moreinformation about programviolations, please call theParatransit office at 1-415-351-7052.

Other InformationThe General Information ParatransitRiders’ Guide 1 contains valuableinformation about topics such astransporting packages, mobilityequipment, life support equipmentand Rider/Driver responsibilities.Please carefully read andunderstand all sections of Rider’sGuide 1 and this Rider’s Guidebefore using SF Paratransit Taxiservices. Also, please refer toGuide 2 for information aboutthe SF Access Service.

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Participating Taxi Companies as of July 2017(Taxi Dispatch services listedalphabetically)Company TelephoneCityWide Dispatch* 1-415-920-0700

CityWide TaxiCrown CabGreen CabMetro Cab

Flywheel Taxi* 1-415-970-1300

Fog City Dispatch 1-415-682-9988American TaxicabFog City CabLucky CabMax CabRegents CabSan Francisco Super Cab

Luxor Cab* 1-415-282-4141

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National Dispatch* 1-415-648-4444

Alliance CabNational CabUSA CabVeterans Cab

San Francisco Taxi Dispatch* 1-415-870-2388Comfort CabSan Francisco Taxicab

Town Dispatch* 1-415-401-8900ABC TaxicabEco-TaxiTown TaxiVina Cab

Yellow Cab Dispatch* 1-415-333-3333

Yellow CabUnion Cab

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Participating Taxi Companies inNorthern San Mateo CountySerra Yellow Cab - Daly City* 1-650-991-2345

* Denotes taxi dispatch services that operate Ramp Taxis. As of July 2017, the city has 100 ramped taxi permits.

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Thank you, and enjoy your ride.

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68 12th StreetSan Francisco, CA 94103-1297

July 2017