Posted on April 16, 2008 by Fiona Hilliard

Going to San Francisco? Don’t just wear flowers in your hair-book a hybrid! Local sandal-wearing officials will even reward you for it to the tune of a $15 (€9.50) refund on your rental.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is proposing a rebate on all alternative fuel vehicles at San Francisco Airport to promote the use of cleaner, more energy efficient fuels.

Newsom is challenging car rental agencies in San Francisco to a 20 percent price break on their airport concession fee, if they can prove that 15 percent of their rentals are rated by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The mayor predicts that the initiative would cost $2.1 million a year and would be easily funded by the revenue that the airport receives from the leases paid by car hire companies.

The proposal is still under review, but if approved, the scheme will begin in December.

Have you been to San Francisco? We’d love to hear your travel tales!