The 40,000 livery cabs, black cars, and limos prowling NYC streets may soon get a bit less sketchy, as the TLC votes today on a new set of regulations to better identify drivers and their companies. The new rules [PDF] would require livery cars to display the name and phone number of the base company, as well as a city-approved window sticker, which limos and black cars would have to attach to their vehicles. And all drivers would be required to display their TLC-approved picture and license in the backseat, just like in taxis.
The new rules come in the wake of a recent incident in which a livery cab driver allegedly raped an inebriated female passenger. According to Fernando Mateo, a spokesman for the NYS Federation of Taxi Drivers, there are anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 unauthorized drivers on the road every day. He tells the Post, "Illegal drivers are preying nightly, they hang by bars and lounges and wait for drunk people to come out and get into the first black car they see. Now, at least they have identifying marks to look for."
The regulations would also require for-hire vehicle [FHV] bases to quote passengers a firm price for a ride that will not change after it is quoted, mandate periodic inspections of FHVs at the TLC’s Safety & Emissions facility, and impose a penalty system that would give garages and drivers points when the vehicles don't meet inspection requirements or when drivers don't follow the law. While the taxi business has improved recently, the FHV business has suffered, and livery driver advocates hope the new regulations will weed out the illegal competition.
