NEW YORK—New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers President Fernando Mateo on Wednesday brought to the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) 6,000 tickets issued to livery cab drivers and demanded for the TLC Commissioner David Yassky to pardon them.
The summonses were issued to livery cab drivers for picking up street hails. Under the current law, livery cabs are only allowed to pick up passengers by prearrangement, as only yellow taxis are permitted to pick up street hails. Mateo has asked the taxi drivers not to pay the fines, which vary from $350 to $2,000, and plans to take legal action against the TLC.
“They issued about 6,000 summonses in the last two months, whereas in 2010, 2009, and 2008 combined, less than half of these were issued,” Mateo said. “These summonses were issued while the Federation of Taxi Drivers and other industry leaders were negotiating with the TLC and City Hall and the deputy mayor a deal to bring street hails legally to the outer boroughs.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed legislation that would allow some 40,000 livery drivers to get $1,500 permits to pick up street hails outside Manhattan and in certain parts of Upper Manhattan. The measure was approved by the state Senate on Tuesday.
“Under the legislation, the residents of those areas—who make up 80 percent of New Yorkers—would be able to hail a new class of taxi cab in their neighborhoods, free from worries about whether the car is safe, or whether they will have to haggle over the price,” Bloomberg said.
The summonses were issued to livery cab drivers for picking up street hails. Under the current law, livery cabs are only allowed to pick up passengers by prearrangement, as only yellow taxis are permitted to pick up street hails. Mateo has asked the taxi drivers not to pay the fines, which vary from $350 to $2,000, and plans to take legal action against the TLC.
“They issued about 6,000 summonses in the last two months, whereas in 2010, 2009, and 2008 combined, less than half of these were issued,” Mateo said. “These summonses were issued while the Federation of Taxi Drivers and other industry leaders were negotiating with the TLC and City Hall and the deputy mayor a deal to bring street hails legally to the outer boroughs.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed legislation that would allow some 40,000 livery drivers to get $1,500 permits to pick up street hails outside Manhattan and in certain parts of Upper Manhattan. The measure was approved by the state Senate on Tuesday.
“Under the legislation, the residents of those areas—who make up 80 percent of New Yorkers—would be able to hail a new class of taxi cab in their neighborhoods, free from worries about whether the car is safe, or whether they will have to haggle over the price,” Bloomberg said.
Mateo said he agrees with parts of the legislation, but not with all of it.
“Because we didn’t support all of it, they got angry at us and they issued 6,000 fines,” Mateo said. “They were issued in areas that normally they [authorities] would look the other way [from]. They weren’t issuing these fines in areas of South Bronx and Jamaica and Upper Manhattan [in the past]—they were overlooking them because they understood that certain people needed transportation at a certain time.”
Mateo said that while the plan may sound like a good idea, it will actually be detrimental to the livery cab and the yellow taxi industries.
“The livery industry will suffer, because although they think they’re getting something, they’re really getting nothing. They’re getting a permit that’s worth nothing,” he asserted. “Their work and compensation insurance is going to go up 10-fold from what they’re paying now. Their insurance for driving their vehicles is going to double.”
Taxis classified to do street hails have higher risk and, thus, more expensive insurance policies. Mateo said the insurance for the vehicles may go up to $16,000 a year.
“It will destroy the yellow taxi industry because what they bought was one thing—they bought, for $700,000, the exclusive rights to do street hails in New York City,” he added.
The Taxi Workers Alliance (TWA) views the legislation differently.
“We don’t want to turn our backs on the ridership, and we’re proud that City Hall didn’t turn their backs on us,” said TWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai from the steps of City Hall on Monday.
Following some concessions, the TWA is proposing a six-point plan: establishing a 60-officer anti-illegal-hailing unit, giving taxis the same turning rights as buses, enforcing lease caps, phasing in the new permits and medallions over a three-year period, reducing credit-card transaction fees from 5 to 4 percent, and creating a task force to examine drivers’ health risks.
TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg said that the persistence of illegal street hails is the reason to put forth a plan like the mayor’s.
“These summonses were correctly issued by our officers, and they will be adjudicated in the appropriate manner,” Fromberg said in a statement. “We hope that the recipient of these summonses will not be misled by Mr. Mateo’s actions today, and that they will do what’s required of them by law to see them properly adjudicated.”
“Because we didn’t support all of it, they got angry at us and they issued 6,000 fines,” Mateo said. “They were issued in areas that normally they [authorities] would look the other way [from]. They weren’t issuing these fines in areas of South Bronx and Jamaica and Upper Manhattan [in the past]—they were overlooking them because they understood that certain people needed transportation at a certain time.”
Mateo said that while the plan may sound like a good idea, it will actually be detrimental to the livery cab and the yellow taxi industries.
“The livery industry will suffer, because although they think they’re getting something, they’re really getting nothing. They’re getting a permit that’s worth nothing,” he asserted. “Their work and compensation insurance is going to go up 10-fold from what they’re paying now. Their insurance for driving their vehicles is going to double.”
Taxis classified to do street hails have higher risk and, thus, more expensive insurance policies. Mateo said the insurance for the vehicles may go up to $16,000 a year.
“It will destroy the yellow taxi industry because what they bought was one thing—they bought, for $700,000, the exclusive rights to do street hails in New York City,” he added.
The Taxi Workers Alliance (TWA) views the legislation differently.
“We don’t want to turn our backs on the ridership, and we’re proud that City Hall didn’t turn their backs on us,” said TWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai from the steps of City Hall on Monday.
Following some concessions, the TWA is proposing a six-point plan: establishing a 60-officer anti-illegal-hailing unit, giving taxis the same turning rights as buses, enforcing lease caps, phasing in the new permits and medallions over a three-year period, reducing credit-card transaction fees from 5 to 4 percent, and creating a task force to examine drivers’ health risks.
TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg said that the persistence of illegal street hails is the reason to put forth a plan like the mayor’s.
“These summonses were correctly issued by our officers, and they will be adjudicated in the appropriate manner,” Fromberg said in a statement. “We hope that the recipient of these summonses will not be misled by Mr. Mateo’s actions today, and that they will do what’s required of them by law to see them properly adjudicated.”
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