The free ride for tech companies in San Francisco may be coming to an end. A new city pilot program could begin charging companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook who shuttle employees to their faraway headquarters using public bus stops, reports Reuters. On top of that, there would be new rules that limit where those buses can stop, where they can go, and that require them to get out of the way when local buses come through.
Still needs a vote to go through
The program, which was announced today by San Francisco mayor Ed Lee, goes to a vote in the next few weeks and could bring $1.5 million in revenue to the city. It also comes amid unrest from locals who have grown displeased with rising rents and real estate that have been blamed on newly-minted dot-com millionaires. The shuttles were implemented to ferry employees back and forth from Silicon Valley, which can be an hours-long commute each day. But in a crowded city that's meant the buses sometimes tap local bus stops in the routes, angering those waiting for the local.