An ordinance prohibiting tour bus drivers from narrating while driving in San Francisco was unanimously approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors today, less than six months after a city hall employee was fatally struck by a tour bus outside City Hall.
On Oct. 23, 2014, a tour bus driver who was allegedly distracted at the time of the collision struck and killed 68-year-old San Francisco resident Priscila “Precy” Moreto while she was in the crosswalk in front of City Hall.
Moreto was an employee at the city Controller’s Office, where she worked as an accountant, according to Mayor Ed Lee’s Office.
Moreto was struck by a Classic Cable Car trolley bus while in a crosswalk on Polk Street between McAllister and Grove streets at around 11:30 a.m. that day, according to police.
San Francisco Supervisor Norman Yee, who authored the legislation, said that the ordinance would prohibit tour bus drivers from narrating while driving on public streets in San Francisco and allow those drivers to instead fully focus on driving.
Under the new ordinance, tour bus drivers who are caught narrating while driving will be cited.
The legislation is co-sponsored by supervisors Jane Kim, John Avalos, Malia Cohen, David Campos, and Eric Mar.
Kim said today that the ordinance would help protect pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers navigating city streets and could help save the lives of both residents and tourists alike.
“A vibrant tourist economy should not come at the cost of the safety of our workers and residents,” Kim said.
She said the board’s approval of the ordinance comes in advance of the annual Walk to Work Day on Thursday, an event many of the supervisors plan to participate in with their constituents.
When Yee introduced the legislation in February he said it would be a small step toward Vision Zero, the city’s goal of zero pedestrian fatalities by 2024.
Yee said he is working with state legislators to create similar regulations across California.
Hannah Albarazi, Bay City News
