At their board meeting on Tuesday, the SFMTA is planning to consider issuing 125 new taxi permits, potentially increasing the city's fleet of cabs by about 8%. This is obviously welcome news to all of us who have tried to get anywhere in a hurry at 7 o'clock on a Friday, or whenever it rains.

Taxi drivers, however, complain that the 1,500 medallions already issued (amounting to about 7,000 drivers in total, some sharing transferable medallions) are plenty, and that competition for fares is stiff enough as it is. But those of us who take cabs aren't likely to feel much sympathy there, if only because we've been stuck on corners for ten minutes or more, desperately seeking a little "available" light shining atop a cab in the darkness.

This development comes just a month after cab drivers were threatening to strike over credit card fees that they're being charged. The new permits/medallions would be a mix of electric taxi vehicle permits, part-time permits, peak time permits, single operator permits, full-time transferable medallions and full-time non-transferable medallions.

[Examiner]

PREVIOUSLY: While Cabbies Plan a Strike, Uber Cab Strikes a Blow at Cabs