The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) reached the bicentennial milestone of having visited 200 licensed for-hire vehicle bases and taxi garages to share vital safety information and lessons learned from Mayor Bill de Blasio's Vision Zero action plan.
The landmark visit to Pia Car and Limo service on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, began with a welcome message from TLC Commissioner and Chair Meera Joshi, a detailed interactive presentation by TLC staff, and featured the participation of almost 100 of the base's professional drivers.
As part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Vision Zero action plan, the TLC launched this hands on educational campaign on May19, 2014 to increase licensees' knowledge of safe driving behavior through direct interaction.
"These educational visits have been incredibly valuable in helping us to reach our Vision Zero goal," said Commissioner Joshi. "Not only are we giving these drivers some practical tools to help protect themselves and their communities, but we're also engaging the owners and managers of these bases and fleets.
It starts with our emphasizing the immense responsibility they have as professional drivers during the visits, but it continues with enthusiastic positive reinforcement from their supervisors, the men and women they see every day."
Since that first visit in 2014, TLC staff members have crisscrossed the city numerous times, engaging drivers one-on-one and in both large and small groups, communicating the crucial messages of Vision Zero.
At each base/garage visit, TLC staff would present testimonials from families who had lost loved ones due to traffic crashes, describe the goals of Vision Zero, and provide information about the top causes for traffic fatalities and offer practical driver safety tips.
Commissioner Joshi also took the opportunity to commend the operators of each and every base and garage who so graciously hosted our staff and encouraged their drivers to come in and participate.
"It's thanks to their consistent support that these events have taken place," said Commissioner Joshi, "and without their active involvement, they certainly wouldn't have been as successful."
The TLC recently held its second annual Vision Zero Driver Safety Honor Roll, honoring almost 300 drivers from throughout the agency's regulated industries for a minimum five year blemish free driving record.
INDUSTRY NOTICE #15-38The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) wishes to inform its licensees that it is now accepting applications pursuant to the recently approved Dispatch Service Provider (DSP) Rules and updating base licensing and renewal processes. The DSP Rules do two things:
1) They introduce a new category of license for companies that work with TLC licensed bases to match passengers and TLC licensed drivers and vehicles; and
2) They increase uniform service standards so that all bases can take advantage of new technologies to provide for-hire service.
Starting on October 1, 2015, the TLC will begin accepting applications for DSP licenses from companies that work with bases to dispatch their affiliated vehicles, but do not currently have a TLC license. Interested companies should visit the DSP Application Page to learn more about how to apply, and to download the application.
Starting on October 1, 2015, TLC is updating the base licensing and renewal processes to reflect the new requirements of TLC licensed bases that operate via apps or other passenger facing booking tools.
Bases who file a new or renewal application between October 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015 and need extra time to meet the new requirements can request an extension. However, starting on January 1, 2016, all new and renewal base applications must meet the new requirements when they are submitted.
Existing bases and companies that are interested in applying to receive a base license can learn more about the new requirements by visiting the New Base Requirements Page. For more information about how apps and other passenger facing booking tools can be used in New York City, please visit TLC's Smartphone Apps webpage.
INDUSTRY NOTICE #15-39The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) approved the fourth participant in the Vehicle Safety Technology Pilot: VerifEye.
A Vision Zero initiative, the Vehicle Safety Technology Pilot will test and evaluate the efficacy of black boxes, anti-speeding technologies, driver alert systems, and related analytic software in promoting safe driving of TLC regulated vehicles.
The Pilot began on April 7, 2015 and will last a full year ending on April 6, 2016. TLC will continue accepting applications throughout the Pilot, and will issue additional industry notices as participants are approved.
TLC would like to remind all industry participants that any use of in-vehicle technology must also comply with New York State Vehicle Traffic Law which is available here: public.leginfo.state.ny.us/lawssrch.cgi?NVLWO: (scroll down to VAT).
For more information about the Pilot, please visit the Vehicle Safety Technology Pilot webpage: www.nyc.gov/tlc/html/industry/veh_safety_tech_pilot_program.shtml
Industry members, including agents, fleets, bases, taxi, street-hail livery, commuter van and FHV owners, who may be interested in participating in the pilot program using VerifEye's technology should reach out to Terry Walker at (905) 948-0015 ext. 234 or twalker@verifeye.com, or visit http://www.verifeye.com, for more information.
