Audit: Cable Car Operators Often Don't Collect Fares

  NEWS

Apr. 19 - KGO (KGO) -- San Francisco transportation authorities are pondering how to pull in more revenue after a new audit revealed cable car operators are often not collecting fares even though Muni's facing a budget crunch.

The operators of one of San Francisco's most popular tourist attractions failed to collect fares 40 percent of the time, according to a city controller's audit issued today.

Operated by the Municipal Transportation Agency, which has been experiencing annual budget pinches, San Francisco's cable cars haven't been pulling in the revenue they could be, the audit reported.

In 42 instances when an auditor boarded a cable car, the auditor was only asked to pay the fare 25 times. Also, according to the audit, at least 76 additional passengers boarded cable cars without paying.

But the report did provide good news. In every instance except one in which an auditor paid the $5 ticket price, operators provided receipts, alleviating fears that Muni employees were pocketing the money.

Nathaniel Ford, executive director of the MTA, responded to the audit with a list of recommendations. They include: providing certified training to all fare collectors, instituting plainclothes security checks and management ride-alongs, and encouraging riders to buy tickets at fare booths instead of on the cable car.

Ford also wrote that he will notify the operator's union of these changes and he will request another controller's audit next year to see if the changes have improved fare collections.

The controller's office noted that crowding and the time of day could have an effect on whether operators collect money, though only 42 cable car visits are not enough to comprise a complete statistical analysis.

The audit was conducted in December and January on all three cable car lines in the city. In 2005, cable cars took in about $20.2 million and in the first half of 2006, the trolleys were a source of about $12.1 million in revenue.

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