It doesn't appear that SFO would have any way to collect their rideshare fees except for honor-system voluntary payment.
Parking enforcement isn’t automatic at parking lots without barriers either, but that doesn’t mean paying a parking fee to the operator is a “voluntary payment” just because you might not get a ticket if you do skip payment.
As for how they could enforce it, it’s pretty easy to walk around outside the airport and spot the cars with Uber/Lyft decals, or multiple phones, or use ANPR to identify frequent visitors, or just ask passengers as they get into cars. Multiple options for enforcement.
The enforcement might end up targeting the drivers rather than Uber itself, but it would have the same effect.
It would be possible to monitor how many cars are picking up passengers there with cameras, because non-rideshare cars would not pick up people there. It would also be possible for an auditor to spot-check with the Uber app and see if they get charged the fee or not, and whether the app directs them to the rideshare pick up area. From there it’s easy to see if a company is circumventing the surcharge.
That's part of their voluntary cooperation. They could also direct passengers to go stand at the curb like everyone else.
[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_number-plate_recogni...
This isn’t voluntary, it’s regulation.
Also notable, the airlines pay for the gates and the landing slots and so on.
It’s a transportation hub. The various forms of transportation that use it pay a fee.
It's called a tax.
By that logic, it doesn't appear that the US government would have any way to collect their income taxes except for honor-system voluntary payment.
That's why they collect income taxes directly from employers instead of trying to collect from employees.
Second, one of the major (valid) complaints has always been that Uber's "disruption" is really just skipping the things other providers are required to do: fleet maintenance, insurance, licensing, taxation, and more. Uber's well past the "break shit and move fast stage", now that they're the dominant player it's in their best interest to pull in regulation barriers and promote any form of moat. They should lobby for HIGHER taxes and fees, pass those on to customers and push for aggressive enforcement - that would be easier than competing with the next startup.