San Francisco Paratransit Taxi

Debit Card System

4 | 20| 2010 | CalAct Spring Conference

San Francisco, California

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SFMTA Overview

• Eighth largest transit system in United States,by ridership

• Service Area: 49 square miles

• Service Area Population: 800,000 residents

• 750,000 weekday fixed route boarding's, approx. 150,000 senior/disabled

• 14,000 registered Paratransit riders (8,000 active taxi customers)

• 1.1 million annual paratransit trips (620,000 trips on taxi)

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SF Paratransit

• SFMTA (Muni) has been providing paratransit services to the

disabled community for over 31 years

• Taxi is a part of a network of Paratransit services including:

– SF Access: Traditional pre-scheduled, shared ride van

services

– Group Van: Subscription van service for groups of

individuals going to a single location, such as adult day

health care center

• SFMTA contracts with a Paratransit Broker, Veolia

Transportation, to manage Paratransit and they sub-contract

with Taxi and Van Companies

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SF Paratransit Taxi• Sedan Taxi service started in

1981

– 1400 cabs currently in service

• Wheelchair Accessible Ramp Taxi service started in 1994 with 6 cabs

– 100 ramp taxis currently in service

• User choice

• Average trip cost $12.18

• Average trip length: 3 miles

• Until recently, paper-based scrip used as taxi fare media

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New Taxi Fare Payment System:

Debit Card

• Paratransit Taxi Debit Card System eliminates scrip

and automates the fare payment process

• Magnetic swipe debit cards issued to all paratransit

users for use as photo identification and electronic

payment

• All SF Taxis equipped with In Taxi Equipment (ITE),

which includes a smart meter, swipe reader, mobile

data terminals & GPS

• Similar to a credit card transaction, the ITE

communicates wirelessly with a central server that

maintains customer accounts

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Primary Goals of the Debit Card System

• Simplify fare payment

• Improve trip monitoring

capacity, thereby reducing

the potential for misuse and

fraud

• Reduce costs associated with

processing and storing scrip

• Automate the billing and

reconciliation functions

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Debit Card System Components

Broker Software: manages and maintains customer eligibility information

Debit Card Software System: manages the accounts for all paratransit

taxi users, processes all taxi trip payment transactions, reconciles

reimbursements between the Broker and the Taxi Companies

Debit Card Hardware (ITE): communicates to the DCCS via the Internet

Back Up Systems: Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System and manual

forms run on a “knuckle-buster”

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Debit Card Hardware System

(In-Taxi Equipment)

Back Up Systems

Debit Card Software System InternetBroker System

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Debit Card Implementation Phase I:

Software and Hardware

Define software and hardware system

requirements with technical experts

- Procure Debit Card Software through

RFP process

- Develop approved vendor/equipment

list and preferred equipment option

through IFB process

Software modifications to link legacy systems at

Yellow Cab Cooperative and Luxor Cab to DCCS

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Debit Card Implementation Phase II:

Soft Launch, Outreach and Training

• Soft Launch Spring 2009

– Over 200 paratransit taxi riders issued

paratransit debit cards

– Four cab companies participated

• Implementation Team monitors system weekly

• 32 outreach sessions to over 1,000 Paratransit

Taxi Customers

• Taxi driver training at each company

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Debit Card Implementation Phase III:

Full Implementation

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• December 2009

– All SF Paratransit Taxi Customers issued

debit cards with instructional letter

– Scrip sales stopped

– 80% of fleet equipped with ITE

• Weekly monitoring meetings continue

• Additional Paratransit Broker staff hired to

handle increase in calls

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Issuing a Debit Card

• Paratransit Taxi Customer issued a new debit card

when first registered, when re-certified, or when

card is lost or stolen

• New card sent in mail with instructional letter, card

must be activated (IVR process)

• Functions as ADA ID Card

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Taking a Paratransit Taxi Ride

• Paratransit taxi customer adds

value to card ($5 per $30 worth of

service)

• Monthly allotment

pre-determined

• Pre-pay option

• No more hoarding

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Paratransit Taxi Customer Presents

Debit Card and Driver Swipes

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Final Swipe at End of Trip

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Electronic Data Collection

• Trip Data

– Date

– Time & Location of pick up and drop off

– Cab & Driver number

– Customer information

– Meter amount

– Tip 10% of meter amount with a $2.00

maximum (customer’s choice)

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Sample Patron Data

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Sample Geographic Data

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Dashboard: A quick look at the data

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Transactions Screen

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Debit Card Benefits

• Better monitoring and enforcement of program rules

– Service area

– Wait trips

– Others not able to use debit card

– Over-tipping

• Improved cost controls for SFMTA

• Administrative benefits

– Reduction in admin costs for taxi co’s

– Faster invoicing process

• Driver and passenger benefits – ease of use

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Improved Monitoring of Ramp Taxi

Program• Wheelchair pick-up data

monitored very closely

• Monitor for three pick-

ups per shift

• Ability to monitor all ramp

drivers on a certain shift

• Working with SFMTA Taxi

Division on progressive

discipline (fines) for drivers

not picking up and possible

ramp medallion revocation

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Lessons Learned & Still Learning….

• Taxi Industry support is critical

• Local Weights and Measure need to be part of

planning process

• Orientation and training must be on-going for both

drivers and passengers

• Old habits are hard to change – program rules now

enforceable

• Be aware of the “little things” that can result in system

outages

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Next Steps

• Resolve outstanding W&M issues and install remaining 200 ITE units

• Add customer portal to website so paratransit taxi customers can review trip history and purchase value

• Analyze trends for planning purposes

– Ride distribution

– Services per neighborhood, Supervisor district

– Trip generator analysis

-Dialysis center trips, regional center trips

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SF Paratransit Debit Card

LESSONS LEARNED IN DETAIL

• Try not to rush

• Understand Own Needs

• Understand Taxi industry needs through regular meetings

• Bring State DMS and Local Weights & Measures into the discussion early

• Establish business rules early on

• Allow 1 update to business rules after pilot

• Get Good Commercial Design Review documents for all aspects of system

• Outline Specific Training for Large & Small Taxi Operators

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SF Paratransit Debit Card

LESSONS LEARNED IN DETAIL (cont’d)

• Ensure Contractors have all software license certificates

CURRENT with a “tickler” for any expiration dates

• Establish IVR needs early with specifications

• Research any Trademarks

• Establish Toll-Free Number to report software system

outages

• Include LD/Incentive Clauses in all Software, Firmware

and Device Contracts

• And remember, PARTNER, PARTNER, PARTNER

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Driver’s Perspective: Benefits and

Challenges

• Ease of use

• Learning curve for customers and drivers

• Customers don’t always present card at the

beginning- to check balance

– This leads to problems if:

• the card isn’t active

• the customer wants the driver to wait (not

allowed on paratransit trips)

• the customer hasn’t added value to the card

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Customer’s Perspective: Benefits and

Challenges• No more bulky scrip, easier for elderly and persons with coordination

or other manual problems

• Helps re-enforce regulations that always were in place, i.e. a family member cannot use debit card to do errands, as there is a photo on it

• Learning curve, depending on the individual’s common sense, understanding of the debit card and what we should suggest to a driver who does not understand. Education and initial backup is essential for the customer

• Education and understanding for the driver is also essential

• For new drivers, it will not be as much as a problem, as it will be the only way they will be trained for Paratransit transactions, in turn making it easier for users

• For me, there is a difficulty in legally using the debit card within our given county lines, and privately paying for the part of the trip out of county; as the GPS will not allow for this.

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Questions And Comments

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• Kate Toran, SFMTA

• Marc Soto, Veolia Transportation

• Izzy Aala, CabConnect

• Hal Mellegard, Yellow Cab Cooperative

• Fred Lein, Yellow Cab Driver

• Cheryl Damico, Paratransit Coordinating

Council