Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board — Burlington, VT
Date: 2024-10-23
Time: 17:30

Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board




 Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 5:30 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, City Hall,
 Ground Floor, 149 Church St. Burlington, VT 05401 or via Zoom

https://zoom.us/j/92987637467?pwd=J2E1S7s64q2O4gdp129cbb0TL4sBmm.1



1. Agenda
 1.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda


 File Attachments

2. Approval of previous minutes
 2.1. Approval of previous minutes 09/12/2024



 File Attachments
 1. VFH 09.12 Minutes Draft (002) VFH 09.12 Minutes Draft (002).pdf

3. Public Forum
 3.1. PUBLIC FORUM - Verbal Comments



4. Curb Presentations - Taxi App
 4.1. Curb Presentations



 File Attachments
 1. CurbPay CurbPay.pdf
 2. RiderApp RiderApp.pdf

5. Recent Ordinance Changes
 5.1. Credit/Debit card payment & Airport Queue line meter requirement
  File Attachments
  1. Signed CC Ordinance Certain Updates to Appendix Signed CC Ordinance Certain Updates to Appendix E
 E of the Burlington Code of Ordinances Regarding of the Burlington Code of Ordinances Regarding Taxi
 Taxi Fares on Rides Originating from the Patrick  Fares on Rides Originating from the Patrick Leah.pdf
 Leah
  2. Signed CC Ordinance Updates to Chapter 30 of the Signed CC Ordinance Updates to Chapter 30 of the
 BCO to Update to the Vehicle for Hire Board BCO to Update to the Vehicle for Hire Board
 Compostion; Require Vehicle for Hire Operators to Compostion; Require Vehicle for Hire Operators to
 Accept Accept.pdf

6. New Business
  6.1. New Business



7. Adjournment
  7.1. Motion to adjourn

Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board




 Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 5:30 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, City Hall,
 Ground Floor, 149 Church St. Burlington, VT 05401 or via Zoom

https://zoom.us/j/92987637467?pwd=J2E1S7s64q2O4gdp129cbb0TL4sBmm.1



1. Agenda
 1.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda


 File Attachments

2. Approval of previous minutes
 2.1. Approval of previous minutes 09/12/2024



 File Attachments
 1. VFH 09.12 Minutes Draft (002) VFH 09.12 Minutes Draft (002).pdf

3. Public Forum
 3.1. PUBLIC FORUM - Verbal Comments



4. Curb Presentations - Taxi App
 4.1. Curb Presentations



 File Attachments
 1. CurbPay CurbPay.pdf
 2. RiderApp RiderApp.pdf

5. Recent Ordinance Changes
 5.1. Credit/Debit card payment & Airport Queue line meter requirement




 Page 1 of 16
  File Attachments
  1. Signed CC Ordinance Certain Updates to Appendix Signed CC Ordinance Certain Updates to Appendix E
 E of the Burlington Code of Ordinances Regarding of the Burlington Code of Ordinances Regarding Taxi
 Taxi Fares on Rides Originating from the Patrick  Fares on Rides Originating from the Patrick Leah.pdf
 Leah
  2. Signed CC Ordinance Updates to Chapter 30 of the Signed CC Ordinance Updates to Chapter 30 of the
 BCO to Update to the Vehicle for Hire Board BCO to Update to the Vehicle for Hire Board
 Compostion; Require Vehicle for Hire Operators to Compostion; Require Vehicle for Hire Operators to
 Accept Accept.pdf

6. New Business
  6.1. New Business



7. Adjournment
  7.1. Motion to adjourn




 Page 2 of 16
 BURLINGTON VEHICLE FOR HIRE LICENSING BOARD
 BUSHOR CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL, 149 CHURCH ST. BURLINGTON, VT 05401
 MINUTES OF MEETING
 September 12, 2024

 DRAFT

 Members present: Paul Hines
 Stephen Hamlin
 Youness Jamil
 Also present: Tenzin Chokden
 Scot Barker, Chief Innovative Officer


Meeting start time: 5:32 PM

1. Agenda
  1.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda

  Stephen Hamlin made a motion to approve. Youness Jamil seconded. Passed unanimously.

2. Approval of Previous Minutes
  2.1. Previous Minutes

  Stephen Hamlin made a motion to accept the previous minutes. Youness Jamil seconded. Passed
  unanimously.
3. Public Forum

  No members of the public spoke.

4. Update from Chief Innovative Officer on Curb
  4.1. Future options for taxi metering and dispatch


  Scot Barker, the Chief Innovation Officer of the City of Burlington, addressed the Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board to
  share insights gathered from Curb.

  Curb is a technology company that provides services for taxi drivers, including digital meters, payment processing,
  and dispatch systems. They have a large customer base of 100,000 drivers and 20 million riders per month.

  Key features and benefits of Curb:

  Digital meters: Provides accurate and efficient fare calculation.
  In-car payments: Allows for convenient payment options like tap, swipe, or QR code.
  Dispatch system: Offers centralized management of driver and passenger requests.

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  Cost-effective: Provides competitive pricing for services like credit card processing and digital meters.

 Potential challenges and considerations:

  Minimum transaction volume: There may be a minimum number of credit card transactions required to
 qualify for the lowest processing rates.
  Additional fees: If individual drivers don't meet the minimum transaction volume, they may incur extra
 charges.

 Overall, Curb presents a comprehensive solution for taxi drivers, offering various features to improve efficiency and
 convenience.

 Youness jamil asked how it works. If you have Curb, do you have to sign in? And if a customer has the QR code and
 wants to call you directly, can they bypass the dispatcher?

 Scot replied whoever is logged in when a customer scans a QR code can accept the fare. If you're not working, you
 won't be logged in.

 Youness Jamil asked how it works if a customer at the airport wants a ride from the airport to downtown.

 Scot replied passengers should go to the airport queue to request a taxi instead of using the Curb app. We may need
 to work with Curb to prevent direct requests. A temporary taxi stand could be set up if needed.

 Stephen Hamlin asked if the Curb application has the ability for customers to a schedule a ride.

 Scot Barker believes that ride scheduling could be done using a QR code or phone call. However, he will verify this
 information.

 Paul Hines discussed the potential cost of a monthly fee for drivers, which they estimate to be between $30 and $50.
 He suggests that more research is needed to determine the exact amount.

 Youness Jamil believes that a $30 monthly fee for drivers is reasonable as long as there is sufficient traffic and
 business for them to earn income. He believes that many drivers will be willing to pay this fee to avoid waiting in
 long lines at the airport for fares. He believes that a meeting with all drivers and a representative from Curb could be
 beneficial in encouraging the adoption of this new technology.

 Scot Barker agreed and will schedule a meeting with Curb for October.

 Tenzin Chokden will confirm with the City Attorney whether the Curb presentation would be considered an official
 Vehicle for Hire meeting or just an event




5. New Business
The next meeting is set for 10/23/24 at 5:30 PM.

6. Adjournment
6.1. Motion to adjourn

Stephen Hamlin motioned to adjourn. Youness Jamil seconded. Unanimously approved.




 Page 4 of 16
PAYMENT SOLUTIONS




CurbPay
Lightest-weight complete
taxi solution package
The lowest card processing
rates in the taxi market
 mPOS Most compact device with
  screen and keypad for PIN input
  Swipe card or use or tap & pay
 BEST
 QR Code Payments RATES
  No hardware necessary! IN THE
  Riders just scan the QR code on MARKET
 drivers phone and pay with any TODAY!
 credit card stored in their phone wallet

 Curb Driver App
  Connect to millions of rides
  with your Android or iPhone
  Loaded with a nationally certified
 GPS meter and syncs with our
 consumer booking app




For more information scan
the QR code or email
sales@gocurb.com

gocurb.com
 Page 5 of 16
CONSUMER SOLUTIONS




Curb Rider App
Increase driver earnings through the
#1 taxi app in the US
Access millions of Curb rides
at no cost to you
 No need to change dispatch
  systems with Curb Driver App

 Upfront pricing

  Seamless, paperless and
 instant payments
 – no signature required

 Hi-tech, hi-spec to rival
  challenger brands




For more information scan
the QR code or email
sales@gocurb.com

gocurb.com
 Page 6 of 16
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BURLINGTON VEHICLE FOR HIRE LICENSING BOARD
SHARON BUSHOR CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL, GROUND FLOOR, 149 CHURCH
 ST. BURLINGTON, VT 05401 OR VIA ZOOM
 MINUTES OF MEETING
 October 23, 2024
Members present: Paul Hines
 Stephen Hamlin
 Youness Jamil

Also present: Tenzin Chokden
 Hayley McClenahan, Assistant City Attorney
 Scot Barker, Chief Innovative Office

Meeting start time: 5:35 PM


1. Agenda
1. Agenda

1.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda

Motion to approve by Stephen Hamlin. Seconded by Youness Jamil. Passed unanimously.


2. Approval of previous minutes
2. Approval of previous minutes from 09/12/2024

Motion to approve by Stephen Hamlin. Seconded by Youness Jamil. Passed unanimously.

3. Public Forum
3. Public Forum

No members of the public spoke.

4. Curb Presentation - Taxi App

Michael Mintz, Business Development Director lead the presentation remotely, joined by his two
colleagues Lisa Fornatora, Director of Call Center & Dispatch and John Moccia, Director of Dispatch
and Media.

Two taxi drivers attended the presentation, Hussein and Mohamed Garib.

Michael Mintz stated Curb is a technology company that primarily serves the taxi industry. They
provide a variety of services, including:

 • GPS Digital meters: For accurate fare calculation
 • Payment processing: To handle credit card transactions
 • Dispatch systems: To manage driver and passenger requests
 • QR code-based payments: For added convenience and efficiency

Curb operates in both highly regulated markets like New York City and less regulated markets. They adapt their
services to meet the specific requirements of each market, including compliance with local regulations and
providing the necessary hardware and software.

Michael Mintz demonstrated Curb's technology from a driver's perspective. The system includes a tablet, a
receipt printer, and a payment device. The tablet can be purchased outright or through a 12-month payment plan.
The drivers can purchase their own tablet. A monthly airtime fee of $10 applies. The drivers can purchase their
own tablet that works with Curb system as well.

The dispatch system sends ride requests to drivers, who can then accept or decline them. Once a ride is
completed, the payment is processed through Curb and then disbursed to the driver, minus a credit card
processing fee of 2.95% plus a 20-cent transaction fee.

Customers can pay via credit/debit card, cash, or a pair and payment method.

Paul Hines asked if there is mobile version that works with Curb application instead of the current setup.

Michael Mintz replied that they're currently working on Curb 1, which is expected to be released in January 2025.
This version will allow drivers to use their phones to accept rides and send electronic receipts to customers.

Youness Jamil asked if Curb will provide 1099 forms for tax purposes.

Michael Mintz responded Curb is only required to report credit card transactions to the IRS.

Mohamed Garib asked if drivers can set their own work hours. Will drivers get paid if a trip is canceled after
arriving at the pickup location? John Moccia replied yes.

Lisa added some clients require pre-authorization for pickups outside their service area. This ensures drivers are
paid for out-of-service area trips, even if the customer cancels.

Michael Mintz stated Curb offers QR codes for easy pickups. Customers can scan the code, enter their
destination, and pay by card. Local businesses can be partnered with to promote this. Curb also offers a call
center for dispatching rides.

John Moccia said Curb provides a user-friendly platform for drivers to manage their work and communicate with
passengers and dispatch such as:

 • Driver visibility: Drivers can see available trips and locations.
 • Communication: Drivers can send and receive messages through the app.
 • Safety features: Keyboard is disabled when driving over 5 miles per hour.
 • Predefined messages: Drivers can use pre-written messages for common requests.
 • Centralized communication: Drivers can communicate with the central dispatch.

Michael Mintz mentioned Curb records detailed information about every trip, including driver, passenger, route,
and payment details. The city could potentially access this data if needed for regulatory or operational purposes.
All these could be a valuable resource for the city in terms of understanding taxi operations and ensuring
compliance with regulations.

Mark Barlow suggested sharing the recorded presentation with all drivers via email and requesting feedback.

Tenzin Chokden replied that the meeting recording will be posted on Civic Clerk and he can share it with the
drivers.

Mohamed Garib mentioned that many drivers have language barriers and might struggle to understand the
presentation just by watching the video.

Youness Jamil said he can share this Curb presentation with other drivers and talk to the drivers.

Paul Hines mentioned potentially scheduling another meeting with drivers after gathering feedback.

5. Recent Ordinance Changes
4. Recent Ordinance Changes

Tenzin Chokden updated the progress of posting the notices about credit/debit card payments and taxi meter
usage at the airport queue line. Both notices are now posted at the airport queue line.

Paul Hines suggested improving the signage at the airport queue line to better guide customers on the taxi
information.

Hayley McClenahan reminded that cash-only drivers must have a sign on their car windows stating "Cash Only."
Starting January 1, 2025, they must also have a credit/debit card payment system.

Tenzin Chokden will determine how many drivers are cash-only and offer assistance with signs if needed.

6. New Business
5. New Business

The next meeting is set for 12/17/2024 at 5:30 PM.

7. Adjournment
7.1 Motion to adjourn
Stephen Hamlin motioned to adjourn. Youness Jamil seconded. Unanimously approved.