After a judge blocked Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration from requiring all new taxicabs to be hybrids, New York City is looking for other ways to get more fuel-efficient cabs on the streets.
The city had aimed to convert the entire fleet of 13,000 cabs into hybrids by 2012, but a federal judge said the local regulations were pre-empted by federal law.
On Friday, Bloomberg announced a new incentive aimed at encouraging fleet owners to purchase hybrids.
Fleet owners charge their drivers a fee for the use of taxicabs; the new proposal lets fleet owners raise those fees on hybrids.
The city says that even though a hybrid driver pays a higher fee, known as a “lease cap,” the fuel savings more than make up the difference.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Rob 11.14.08 at 2:59 pm
Aren’t the drivers already paying more to lease hybrid cars?? Bloomberg I guess does not know that or he wants to raise lease even higher..
Ewa 11.14.08 at 7:04 pm
Yes, my father leases a hybrid and is already paying $10 more to lease per day. Factor the gas saving per shift, drivers are only coming ahead $10.00 dollars at most after saving $20 on gas. When they raise the price for hybrids, drivers will probably just come in even and the big bosses will pocket the profits$$$!
Jose 11.14.08 at 10:44 pm
I am paying a $5.00 estra fee since I drive a hybrid from the summer of 2006 in a fleet and Bloomberg did not know that? Now he want to authorize what it has been going on for more than two years? He is a real asshole and so is commissioner Daus. How much do They want to charge more? Why don’t They start thinking in raising the fare since the last time it was increased was more than four years ago with a smaller increase in 2006?They put the GPS. They are stealing us 5% of our well earned fares and this crisis is making this job much more difficult thanks to the 1050 taxi medallions more on the streets thanks to Bloomberg, Daus & company and the silence of so call taxi industry leaders like David Polak and Vincent Sanpone of Lomto. Shame on You guys. The only ones who oppossed were the Taxi Workers Alliance and a few of us regular drivers
Abie 11.15.08 at 7:59 am
This disagreement between the Bloomberg Administration is not really about money. So, money really won’t fix it. It is about safety and reliability of the vehicles.
What would fix this would be for a vehicle that is safe reliable comfortable and hybrid to be introduced into industry.
In the meantime they fail to recognize that all Crown Victorias 2006 and newer have flex fuel engines and can also run on E85 Ethanol. There are ways for fleets to be supplied with this fuel. This is not a solution but a bridge they can use till the right vehicle is found.