Israel Ramos of the Taxi and Limousine Commission strongly believes the work he and his fellow officers do helps keep unsafe cars and illegitimate operators off the road.
TLC-authorized livery drivers take a defensive driving course, get drug tested and clear a criminal background check, but that’s not the case for ‘gypsy’ cab drivers, who often steal business from authorized taxis and livery cabs. Nearly 6,000 cars acting as gypsy cabs were confiscated from their owners in 2012.
City taxi inspectors seized a record-high 5,776 illegal livery cars last year, more than triple the number confiscated the prior year, authorities said Thursday.
The record could be smashed again this year because inspectors already hauled 849 vehicles off the road in January — up from 276 the prior January.
Nearly all of the busts are gypsy drivers, who poach riders from licensed livery services and yellow cabs.
“We are stressed all the time,” said yellow cab driver Cosme Afandalo, 43, of the Bronx. “We see them (gypsy drivers) commonly picking up passengers right in front of us. It has an impact on our business.”
TLC-authorized livery drivers must take a defensive driving course, get drug tested and clear a criminal background check. The TLC also sets minimum insurance levels for any accidents involving passenger injuries and inspects livery cars for defects.
Gypsy drivers bypass all those requirements.
“At best, these illegal vehicles and their drivers are stealing business from legitimately licensed taxis and liveries,” said TLC Chairman David Yassky. “But at worst, they are potentially unlicensed, anonymous drivers with underinsured, inadequate vehicles.”
Cabbie Abdul Rahman Ali, 47, of Queens, said, “It definitely makes me frustrated and angry because that’s my ride and someone illegal is picking them up … I can’t do nothing about it.”
Inspectors confiscated 1,737 cars in 2011. The increase in 2012 is partly due to the TLC’s hiring of 100 additional inspectors last year.
A new class of recruits hit the streets last month and another group just began training.
“I strongly believe the work my fellow officers and I are doing out there really makes a difference,” said Israel Ramos, a TLC chief. “We protect the riding public, and we support the legitimate operators who do the right thing.”
Still, industry groups say more needs to be done because the illegal activity is so rampant.
“It’s not enough,” said David Pollack, executive director of the Committee for Taxi Safety.
“I think it’s still a ripple in the water compared to what’s really out there,” added Bhairavi Desai, head of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance.
Depending on the number of violations issued, a driver can be forced to pay between $500 and $1,500 in fines before getting a confiscated car back. There’s also the $185 towing fee and $25-per-day storage fee.
For years, the TLC seized between 1,200 and 1,500 livery cars. More aggressive enforcement wasn’t possible because there wasn’t enough room in NYPD tow pounds for more vehicles, officials said.
City taxi inspectors seized a 5,776 illegal livery cars last year, a record that could be broken as early as this year. In January, 849 vehicles were pulled off the road, more than triple the 276 confiscated the prior January.
But last year, Damon Hemmerdinger, co-president of ATCO Properties and Management, offered the TLC temporary use of a two-acre lot the company owns in Glendale, Queens. The TLC soon plans to have the operation moved and taken over by a private towing company, Yassky said.
Gypsy guys call it a bussines expense. You are better off paying fines and towing then work in garages for $50 12 hours How that seisures in Bronx help you make more money in Manhattan?
Gamblers need money to support their addiction. Anything,but not working.gamble your country, your life, future of every worker in America. Russia and China outlawed all form of gambling-they recognized that emploees instead of paying salaries and improving bussineses spent all money gambling. Gambler # 1 Bloomberg look what he did with taxi industry.Thanks to dumb heads in congress on line poker has been outlawed. $4billion rip off that’s how much workers lost in potential income. Allright ,they gonna charge hard working illegals fines and towingand where will this money goes ? Gamling again.
So that why i been driving like crazy the last 10 years. That money collected from illegal streets fares should go to yellow cab drivers packet! It`s our money. Those thieves must be put on death stand.
And soon, VERY soon they will all be legal
“Today, we reached an agreement with the CPUC confirming that Uber is legal in California and suspending the prior complaints and fines levied against the company.
More than that, the agreement states that ride-sharing — or rides provided by drivers not specifically licensed to drive a limousine or taxi — is legal, too. This paves the way for Uber to begin offering ride-sharing services in California in the near future.”
http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/31/uber-ride-share/
It looks everybody driving something for a living in nyc. .lawers
, black cars , brokers garages owners and passengers. ,Tlc.door men ,…..all….are driving cabbies.
“While new UBERx drivers won’t need to be licensed as taxi or limo drivers under existing CPUC regulations,”
http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/25/uber-uberx-ride-share/
Shots against globalization available
All New York, hotel door man, have a personal blak car driver, who jast take a airport job and sum onther job in the city area, they will take a $10.00 for each job giving to the driver, but
And black car drivers pass on that cost to passengers overcharging. That’s why City should do something about it for the city tourism. Well I doubt city is that much fair and enlightened. Arthur Chi’en will never bark, I mean investigate on that.
Maybe, it will take some tourists involved in horrible accidents and killed in illegal livery cab who got passengers from well-known-hotel doorman where obviously yellow cabs r waiting in taxi stand in slow days.
Recently Bloomberg administration anounced the addition of 20,000 outer borough cabs.The plan has failed, but if it went through, can we talk of some kind of ideal system which could keep everybody happy? And what system would it be? My perseption of the future of taxi industry depends solely on driver’s income, the system which will keep all crooks, whose main desire to steal money from drivers, out, the system which allows drivers be independent and the one’s who love their job, not hating it.
What ARE you Talking About SUNMAN ? ….Where do You Come up with This Stuff ?
LOL TF
Illegal livery cabs! How about licensed livery cabs doing illegal street pick ups especially in Manhattan rush hour making it more congested for all ( making legal yellow cabs taking more time for a trip so less available) and illegal business at hotel overcharging tourists! How much it adds up in years? I feel like a dog barking at the wrong tree. Or just complaing to bull’s ears.
Time=$€£¥, so congetion causing time loss means money loss. General public agrees overcharging cabdrivers with rate 4 or toll surcharge within a boro r criminals deserving to be exposed in media? It adds up millions collectively? Overcharging n congestion time loss for all? Arthur Chi’en, next story? Is it too remote to relate public?
Hugo Chavez helped many Americans to save money on heating oil during cold winter month. Nobody said anything about it when he passed away. He helped poor people of Venesuela and poor people around the world. He will be remembered by many. Scumbacks,who live off the working poor will be forgotten by history, you will die like everybody else and no billions won’t save you.
History knew many countries strong and powerful. At their time it seemed that the world would colapse without their existence,but as time went on and huge empires fell, strangely enough, the life continued. Don,t create your own idols, it might be an ordinary person,who thinks that some how he is an exceptional individual.
Today ,Tony Fox, you might lough at Indians and Pakistanis who slave for you. Make sure that you don’t slave for them tommorow!
America received a generous help from countries around the world. They provided human and natural resources for this country to sucseed. It’s immigrants from Italy, Russia, Ireland, slaves from Africa and many others who built American might. And what’s in return, slave type jobs, bills nobody can pay. Sorry, folks it does not work that way.