Livery Drivers Oppose Expansion of Medallion Cabs

FAIR SHARE: Over a thousand livery drivers rallied around City Hall on Monday to demand their share of the industry. The city plans to add 6,000 medallion cabs in the outer boroughs. Angela Wang/The Epoch Times

NEW YORK—More than a thousand livery taxi drivers skipped work on Monday to rally against the Bloomberg administration’s plan to expand medallion cabs in the outer boroughs.

“For the last 40 years livery drivers have been responding to the needs of the communities where yellow cabs don’t service,” said Pedro Heredia, president of the Livery Base Owners Association. “Legislators need to understand that no matter how many yellow medallions the city puts on the road, they will never provide the service needed in the outer boroughs.”

Although according to the law, only yellow cabs can take street hails, a large number of livery cabs find potential passengers on streets of the outer boroughs where yellow cabs are not around. With the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) considering putting 6,000 new medallions cabs on the streets of Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, livery drivers’ business will be hindered.

Recently, the TLC has gone on a hunt for livery drivers who respond to street hails. More summonses were issued in the first four months this year than all of last year, according to an earlier report by the New York Post.

Livery drivers who take passengers on the street are issued fines at $350. Councilmen Ydanis Rodriguez and Robert Jackson revealed that they have submitted proposals to readjust the fine to under $100.

But many believe that the ultimate solution is to make on-street pickups legal for livery cab drivers outside of Manhattan, which Mayor Bloomberg initially proposed in his “Five Borough Taxi” plan.

“I believe that was the best plan,” said Rodriguez at press conference held before the rally. “Last week I already presented a bill at the Council to call for livery taxi drivers who are affiliated with TLC to have the right to take street hailing.”

As of now, the TLC and the mayor are reconsidering the plan so that livery drivers’ reserve their share in the industry.

“I’m happy that the mayor is seemingly moving to the right direction,” said Councilman Jumaane Williams. “These people provided us with this type of transportation service when no one else in the city would for decades. The city’s coming down on these people makes no sense.”

“Council Speaker Christine Quinn has also looked at our issue carefully,” added Rodriguez.

“I hope Mayor Bloomberg will put the yellow cabs and the livery cabs together. The business has been around for 40 years and I don’t see why they need to change it right now,” said Elias Fernandez, 38, who has been a livery driver for 11 years.