*Taxicab b-roll here
San Diego – The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) has hired long-time San Diego County Sheriff Lieutenant Ken Nelson to oversee the region’s largest taxicab system. In his new role as taxicab administration manager, Nelson will oversee the day-to-day administration of taxicab operations in the cities of El Cajon, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Poway, San Diego and Santee.
“Ken will manage the permitting and regulation enforcement for nearly 1,000 taxis in operation. His background in law enforcement is a good fit for the position,” said Paul Jablonski, MTS chief executive officer. “The position requires steady leadership and an understanding of regulatory compliance. Ken brings this experience to the table.”
MTS has been administering the region’s taxicab regulations since the 1980’s and has a team of 14 employees under Nelson to handle the workload. The two primary functions of the system are reviewing all new and renewing permit applications and conducting physical inspections of taxis. Applicants go through a multi-step process during permitting that includes an orientation, background and insurance checks. Taxicab inspections occur at MTS Trolley facility for routine maintenance inspections, or out in the field. MTS taxicab inspectors make about 500 field contacts each month to determine if vehicles are fit for operation, drivers are complying with regulatory requirements and issuing violation notices.
“The primary responsibility of MTS is to help ensure that taxicabs operate safely and within all of the regulations of the industry,” said Nelson. “Each taxicab owner is a small business owner and my goal is to establish a professional relationship with all the operators to help their business be safe and reliable for their passengers.”
Nelson worked at the Sheriff’s Department for 30 years prior to joining MTS. During his tenure, he was appointed to the FBI’s National Cyber Investigation Joint Task Force, created the Sheriff’s Cyber Financial Crime Unit and chaired California’s Terrorism Liaison Officer Program. Nelson holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Union Institute & University, was born and raised in San Diego, married for 27 years, and has two grown children.
MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every weekday more than 300,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS bus and Trolley services in 10 cities and in unincorporated areas of the county. In FY 2017, MTS served 88 million riders. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.
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