COMMISSIONER’S LETTER

By New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission Commissioner/Chairman David Yassky

On June 28, a decision handed down by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with our long held position that the TLC is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The case was a class action suit brought by a group of wheelchair users who believed that the TLC was in violation of the ADA by not requiring that all taxicabs be roll-in wheelchair accessible vehicles. The court’s unanimous decision found that “nothing in the TLC’s administration of the licensing program discriminates against persons with disabilities” and also noted that it is the private taxi industry “that fails to afford meaningful access.”

Of course, this ruling in no way diminishes the TLC’s desire to improve transportation options for people with disabilities. The simple fact is that it’s virtually impossible for a person in a wheelchair to hail a taxicab and experience the same level of service as someone who doesn’t need an accessible vehicle, and I think we need to challenge the taxi industry to do better. That having been said, there is no doubt in our minds, or in the minds of the accessible transportation experts with whom we’ve been working, that within the current framework, creating an efficient means of dispatching accessible service is the best way to utilize the 233 wheelchair accessible taxicabs currently in use. And with the taxi industry’s help this is precisely what we’ve done.

Now that the court has clearly defined our role in providing accessible service we look forward to partnering with the existing accessible taxi drivers and owners to provide on-request taxi service to wheelchair users in Manhattan via 311 just as we look forward to the courts ultimately allowing us to add another 2,000 accessible taxi medallions to our city’s fleet. What could be more of a win-win: a medallion auction making more American dreams come true while being on the ground floor of a new service!

I am also pleased to report that, at the recommendation of TLC staff and with the support of Mayor Bloomberg, the TLC’s board of commissioners has approved a 17% taxi fare increase that will go entirely to the drivers. Much has been written about the disagreement in principal we have had with the MTBOT (Metropolitan Taxi Board of Trade) and others who took the position that there should be no fare increase if it were not accompanied by a lease cap increase. However, it was a simple fact that the fleets did not have the same level of compelling evidence as the drivers, and we acted accordingly.

So, the good news is that drivers will soon be able to recapture the economic standing they enjoyed after the last fare increase in 2006, while looking forward to the first ever health and disability fund created for their benefit. Details to come.

On the fare itself, detailed industry notices will be posted on our web site and shared with the industry in a number of ways. The basics are that taxicab owners and drivers will be able to charge the new fares as of Tuesday, September 4, 2012, provided that they have recalibrated their taximeters and updated their door decals. While I can’t imagine that anyone will drag his or her feet on this, I should point out owners MUST make these changes no later than Sunday, September 30, 2012.

Last but not least, I’m happy to note that the TLC has launched a brand new web site, the product of almost a year of development, and the first major change to the agency’s web presence since its inception well over a decade ago. In other words, this is a big deal! All of the same information and services that our licensee customers have come to rely upon are still there, but it will be far easier to connect with them and get things done. Less time on the web site = more time doing what you’d rather be doing!

So, I’d encourage you all reading this to visit us at www.nyc.gov/taxi and click around a bit. I think you’ll like what you see.

Until next time, stay cool and stay safe!