Tech bros nationwide were served with comeuppance Wednesday, with widespread mockery of the glorified vending machine Bodega and Martin Shkreli’s ass getting sent back to jail. But techies were also taken to task here at startup central in San Francisco, where the Muni for those made of money, the “private bus service” known as Chariot, has now generated so many complaints that the Chronicle reports the SFMTA board will consider a fresh new batch of regulations aimed at keeping private transit vehicles out of Muni lanes both literally and figuratively.
Chariot, which has been bought up by Ford Motor Company but still master the art of startup smarm, is the only privately owned mass transit service in town after the respective demises of uniquely named entities like Leap and Loup. Chariot is also the only privately owned mass transit service currently generating complaints about double parking, blocking driveways, and stopping in Muni stops, and have reportedly had 62 such complaints lodged against them in the last two years.
They would also be paying $240,000 of the total $250,000 cost for SFMTA to enforce these new regulations against them, should the board adopt said regulations. “Though Chariot is the only player on the market now, we developed the program to make sense as an overall framework,” SFMTA director of Taxis and Accessible Services Kate Toran told the Chronicle.
The proposed batch of regulations, which have not been passed but will be considered at the September 19 SFMTA board meeting, would not go into effect until 30 days later and include mandates to share vehicles’ GPS data, increase safety training, implement full ADA compliance, and to not duplicate Muni routes.
Even so, the new rules probably don’t go far enough to please the haters of techie-centric private shuttles. “This company is another one of these companies based on ‘We’re going to break the law, and go to city government to ask for forgiveness’,” SFMTA citizen advisory council member Sue Vaughan told the Examiner.
Related: Private Shuttle Chariot's Latest Route Whisks NEMA Royalty To Caltrain For Free
