Now that he has taken responsibility for remaking New York City’s taxi and livery industries, Gov. Cuomo needs to demonstrate that his plan can work before he and the Legislature write the overhaul into law.
Cuomo was widely hailed — pun intended — last week for devising a scheme that would:
add 2,000 yellow cabs, all capable of accommodating wheelchair passengers, to the fleet;
create a fleet of up to 18,000 livery cars that could legally cruise for curbside pickups outside the Manhattan business district, and
raise $1 billion for the city through the sale of taxi medallions.
The rub is that Cuomo has set conditions on achieving all those benefits. He insists that:
20% of the new street-hail liveries — 3,600 cars — must be wheelchair-accessible, and
the city must spend up to $54 million to help livery drivers pay for those expensive vehicles.
In other words, Cuomo will let Mayor Bloomberg reap $1 billion for cops, firefighters and teachers only if huge numbers of drivers dump their cheap cars to buy specially equipped high-cost vans with the $54 million in public aid.
This does seem a fantasy.
Roughly 23,000 livery cars provide taxi service in the vast stretches of the city — the boroughs and Manhattan above 96th St. — that have been abandoned by yellow cabs. They answer radio calls and are barred from picking up street hails — though they do so anyway 150,000 times a day.
Although the industry had been humming along for years, Taxi and Limousine Commission Chairman David Yassky decided to force change after his wife griped about negotiating fares with drivers. She preferred that the cars have meters.
Then, Bloomberg announced he wanted to “equalize” taxi service across the city,
never mind that yellows and liveries operate under different sets of economics, practicalities and legalities.
Soon enough, the yellow cab industry rose to defend its monopoly. Just as quickly, advocates for the handicapped expanded to street-hail livery cars their legitimate demand, endorsed Friday by a federal judge, that yellows take wheelchairs.
So, in stepped Cuomo, who fashioned the plan outlined above. Question, governor: Have you ever ridden in a livery cab?
Most start out as used cars — worth, maybe, $10,000 each — then rack up hundreds of thousands more miles.
Given the fare structure, larger investments are generally out of the question.
Yet Cuomo theorizes that 3,600 drivers will pony up for $40,000 wheelchair-accessible vehicles if the city spends $15,000 a car to reduce the out-of-pocket cost. Leaving aside the question of whether taxpayers should shoulder that kind of expense, Cuomo’s numbers appear unworkable.
If that is correct, two results are possible:
One, the scheme will fail and the city will be denied $1 billion desperately needed to deliver basic services.
Two, livery car drivers will have to sock passengers with markedly higher fares.
Neither outcome would be acceptable. That’s why the governor must prove he knows what he is doing before proceeding further.
Until then, he should just stick with the law he signed last week that will allow 30,000 liveries to cruise for fares starting in two months and let the city pull in the $1 billion by auctioning 1,500 yellow medallions.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s hillarious to find out, “Yassky decided to force(!) change after his wife griped about negotiating fares with drivers. She preferred that cars have meters.”
#1 It is a bit like late Kim Jong IL or Putin style that the big policy change involving so many people’s livelihood was driven by personal concern about his dear wife and he can say that in public.
#2 He is admitting that the wife of a TLC commissioner was involved in illegal street hailing of livery and he can say that in public. No wonder there is no return trip left after outer borough drop off and drivers prefer stay in Manhattan.
#3 Outer borough taxi plan is signed. In order to effectively stop illegal pick ups in Manhattan, TLC should give tickets to illegally hailing New Yorkers like jay walk tickets well, except TLC officers family members.
Very well said….This artical shows some….all of the truths of the current state of the ground transprtation industry…..PS , HAS ANYONE Questioned The Legality of Above , As far as An ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT STUDY NOT Performed BEFORE UNLEASHING 2000 medalions and 18,000 OBCars !!! Which WILL Be cruising for 24 hrs a day 7 days a week for NON Exisiting fares ? Take a deep breath folks YOUR AIR QUALITY is Going Away….
they dont care about air or else. garages made millions. Then ,TLC says this is our turn and turn yellow cabbies into yellow cows.
We are MOOving like a herd of yellow cows or buffalos when we are supposed to move like yellow Cheetah through Allen and first avenue squeezed by 24 hours (why? In hell?) by near empty bike path and empty bus lane where at night passengers are standing in hailing cabs, which makes sense when bus is running every 20minutes 20 blocks apart, but we are told it’s illegal so on camera ticket in bus lane or ticket for obstructing traffic picking up in next lane. God help New York City’s transportation!
The TLC’s undercover agents are cracking down on livery drivers in Manhattan. I see them doing that almost every day, but do they able to stop it completely? How many years they’re trying to do that? To many private plated vehicles around, and do all kinds of business over the phone, and they outmaneuver the TLC.
TLC should enforce livery like refusal: $500 or more fine n suspension n revocation and ALSO illegally hailing, conniving New Yorkers should get tickets without phone record of calling by on-foot police officer giving out pink summons for criminal court. I hate myself for just saying but doing nothing but doing something about it or ACTION is my New Year’s resolution.
Maybe it’s time for every cabbies to sacrifice couple of shift & demonstrate against unjust TLC and greedy garages. This might bring up attention and pressure while before the Bloomberg leaves his office and what he has done for every hard working cabbies. Atleast, New Yorkers will understand how we are being treated by his adminstration.
The same way the city has video tape of every bus lane, we should be able to take video of all the black cars making illegal pick ups in the city and upload them to the TLC and have tickets issued. Because the TLC is way to under staffed to handle the problem. Why would I want to buy a yellow medallion if these scabs are stealing our fares?
To Ron! – You may get the Progo HD Hero2 world’s most versatile camera. See it on YouTube or ProGo.com – This tiny camera could do so much for cabdrivers! Camera is one of the best eyewitnesses, and would not lie!
i just wana say fuck the nyc cobs which giving ticket to Cab driver. they fucking dosen’t know that we are working for city. they also giving fucking ticket to no reason. i agreed also what other guys say in above all. fuck the bicycle line in ny which we don’t need like other state. way is not even enough for car. why city make fucking bycyle line in city. no bran no bran. many and many tures complain about nyc fuck way and fuck rule for all of them
bus are supposed be in bus line if no then make lot traffic. specially fuck the 1 ave bus line and new bicycle line in 2 ave shit. fuck and shit to who made stupid rule. we need right alway
tunnel taxi managent in queens long island city. that dispager take 15 and 20 dollar tips everyday other way no giving cab or giving damage cab which is illegal. you TLC supposed know what they do.
tunnel taxi managent in queens long island city. there is no even one cab good. we have no idea how TLC inspection to that garage. we don’t have a accident with bad car. bad cab is not safety as you know.
Slum lord Slum garage
All Legal in this NYC
i thought USA TLC inspection are doing good job and check the Cab well. now i think that inspection are not driving when they checking and they just look outside and done. as who know they are taking money.
in my opinion to drive the cab when they checking is more important than how it looks outside. thats why now how many cabs are accident everyday. thats what it happen again more.
i have the right to write it. at the same time guys don’t scare to write anything you have. we just wana that tlc know about it. IF WE DON’T WRITE HERE HOW THEY KNOW ALL ABOUT. THEY DOSEN’T HAVE EXPERIENCE ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE.
with these handicap taxi, it means taxi drvier take a longer time to pickup and discharge passenger, at the end of the day, driver who do 24 trips will come down to 18 trips.who will paying the already struggle low daily income differentiation??? TLC? CITY? or garages?
Money moves, worth seeing video! http://youtu.be/I9N_MpmXxVs
i have write that about some garage and some thing that doing illegal things. seems that garage paid to someone who can delete that complain commons that which i posed. TLC supposed not delete all the commons.
Dear all Cab drivers i am requesting here for stop the drive Cab for 2 weeks including day and night. we all want to protest for city and we need increase the rate. our rate is too much cheap. we can’t make a leaving with this rate for whole life. if we no protest, no increase the rate. if we sleep like this , we will be sleep. tell to all your friends about this.
keep touch in this wed. but i am gonna give you here one wed that like Facebook to all drivers contact each other. you guys must john to that wed. i will post here soon as possible. we can make big right to driver in the city and much more. do not give up and everything is possible as in fact on our hand. best of luck
Robert! …Cab drivers will not strike, or fight for anything and gave up! The only choice is working full 12-hour shifts, in the heavily regulated city streets. In addition, a split of seconds cabbies could receive any kind of tickets. Drivers should be a member of the NYTWA, or individually speak, or write to the TLC commissioner. And then he could help us to work to improve working conditions, and get steady liveable wages! In the wealthy taxi industry, only the cab drivers left behind, and everyone else doing better. When cab drivers left behind, their kids left behind too, and that should be changed!
Dear Fellows I have a question.
Can I driver a cab for more than 12 hours ?
I’m asking cause I heard that there is a rule of TLC that a driver shall not drive a cab for more than 12 consecutive hours.
But I used to do double shift on monday which would last for 15 hours.
And know I have an offer of doing saturday double and sunday double.
Can i do that without getting a ticket from TLC ?
Please suggest.
Forget about double shifts and more incomes. Cab drivers are receiving tickets for overtime work, because they behind the wheel more than 12 hours.
Visit http://www.nyc.gov/tlc In taxi rules, chapter 54-14 (d) says $25 fine and one point for working over 12 hrs. Chapter 54-27 (b) says six or more points in 15 months will make license suspended and ten or more revoked. But two points will be deducted if you take remedial course for how much it doesn’t say. After GPS installation, TLC has all the records. Somebody on this site says the ticket was issued I gave you facts you decide.
Info on working longer than 12 consecutive hours, read below. It doesn’t say about working seven days straight for 365 without vacation which is illegal for horses.
Alex! – Cab drivers are more profitable than keeping horses. Cabbies could work for nothing, but must feed the horses! Would you like to work EIGHT instead TWELVE hours, and have enough incomes?
What do you guys think about having three shifts, eight-hour work per day? More cabbies could be employed!
2000 more yellow cabs, 3000 to 6000 new drivers, but where could we find extra fares?
Click here: http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/illegal-taxi-drivers-20120209
weekly driver, very good site.
UNBELIVABLE Yassky and PA Cops do you really think this is NEW …Watch this Vidieo and see whats going on THESE Guys have Pass. plates.and it goes on in NYC AM and PM Rush….Watch Video… http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/illegal-taxi-drivers-20120209 ……Welcome to NY…
Please continue discussion on the forum: link