NEWS



Industry Notice #11-12

NEW TLC RULE BOOK IN EFFECT APRIL 1, 2011

The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is pleased to announce that a new, easier to read and understand TLC rule book is in full force and went into effect Friday, April 1, 2011. The previous rule book was repealed as of that date.

This new rule book is a product of the TLC's Rules Review Project, a two plus year initiative that had the goal of making the TLC's rules and regulations more consistent across the six industries regulated by the TLC as well as to make them more conveniently and intuitively laid out in plain, easy to understand language.

These new rules signal the first time a City agency has undertaken a comprehensive, top to bottom revision of its rules in order to aid its licensee customers in complying with them:

• Each chapter had an informal online comment period, two public hearings, and two votes of formal approval by TLC's Commissioners.
  
  
  
• Following the initial public hearing, TLC staff proposed modifications based on comments received and then each chapter was tentatively approved by the TLC's Commissioners by a vote at a public meeting.
  
  
  
• Following tentative approval of all the chapters, the TLC republished all the chapters for a final round of public comments and a final public hearing.
  
  
  
• After that hearing final changes to the proposed rules were made, and TLC's Commissioners voted to approve all the chapters at a public meeting held on July 15, 2010.
  

The New Rule book chapters begin with the "Chapter 51" and end with "Chapter 70" instead of being numbered "Chapters 1 - 14" in order to allow for a smooth transition and prevent confusion with the currently existing rule book.

See chapter titles below:

Chapter 51 - Definitions

Chapter 52 - Rules Governing the Taxi & Limousine Commission

Chapter 54 - Medallion Taxicab Drivers

Chapter 55 - For-Hire Drivers

Chapter 56 - Paratransit Drivers

Chapter 57 - Commuter Van Drivers

Chapter 58 - Medallion Taxicab Service

Chapter 59 - For-Hire Service

Chapter 60 - Paratransit Vehicles and Bases

Chapter 61 - Commuter Van Vehicles and Owners

Chapter 62 - Taxicab Brokers

Chapter 63 - Taxicab Agent Rules

Chapter 64 - Licensing & Rules for Taximeter Businesses & Manufacturers

Chapter 65 - Sale of Taxicab Medallions

Chapter 67 - Rules for Taxicab Hack-up and Maintenance

Chapter 68 - Adjudications

Chapter 69 - Rules for Representatives

Chapter 70 - Transition Rules

TLC RELEASES FHV ACCESSIBLE DISPATCH SERVICE RFP (REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS) FOR SERVICE TO THE BOROUGHS

TAXI & FOR-HIRE VEHICLE DISPATCH PLAN WILL BRING RESPONSIVE ACCESSIBLE SERVICE TO ALL FIVE BOROUGHS

The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is pleased to announce the release of a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the creation of a For-Hire Vehicle (FHV) Wheelchair Accessible Dispatch System. This system will allow wheelchair users whose trips originate in Brooklyn, the Bronx , Queens and Staten Island to call 311 to request (on a 24/7 basis) a wheelchair-accessible FHV at the regular pre-established fare, and with the highest standards of service in a reasonable timeframe.

At present, there is no coordinated or practical way to ensure the provision of quality For-Hire services for persons who use wheelchairs. The goal of this RFP is to create a centralized dispatch service that will direct FHVs or their accessible equivalents to wheelchair users who need them. Passengers calling 311 will be connected with a dispatcher who will be able to determine the closest available FHV.

The TLC releases this RFP as a complimentary solution to the parallel RFP that was released last week for medallion taxicabs that will service wheelchair users whose trips originate in Manhattan.

The two dispatch programs, which are both scheduled to commence in March 2012, will work in tandem to provide equivalent wheelchair accessible services to those who need them throughout the five boroughs.

"We've made it a priority to increase the number of safe, reliable options for everyone who requires accessible modes of transportation" said Deputy Mayor for Operations Stephen Goldsmith. "The dispatch system, which will make better use of our existing resources, is an important step toward accomplishing our shared goal of increased access. We are going to continue to work with the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities and the community to exchange ideas and continue to look for new ways to improve access."

"The TLC has spent considerable time and effort working with the taxi and FHV industries and the disability advocacy community on learning the best ways to match the availability of our wheelchair-accessible taxicabs and for-hire vehicles with the people who need them," said TLC Commissioner Yassky. "And now is the time to make use of the lessons learned to create a system that is practical, efficient, and works for all stakeholders."

"We are happy to support the Accessible Dispatch program as we hope it will provide increased access to our city's taxi and for-hire vehicle fleets for people who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids," said Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities Commissioner Matthew Sapolin. "My office was created with a mandate to advocate for people with disabilities which we do each and every day. As such, we will continue to aggressively pursue long term accessibility solutions for our city's transportation system."

"I welcome this proposal for a wheelchair accessible taxi and for-hire vehicle dispatch system to be offered to New Yorkers with disabilities," said Council Member G. Oliver Koppell, Chair of the Council's Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse & Disability Services Committee. "However, we view the proposal as a first step toward the ultimate goal of an accessible taxi fleet."

When the Administration announced plans for an improved Taxicab and FHV Accessible Dispatch System several months ago, we were pleased to welcome and highlight the support and participation of such industry organizations as the Metropolitan Taxi Board of Trade, the Greater New York Taxi Association, the Livery Roundtable, and the NY Taxi Workers Alliance.

Highlights of the RFP include:

• The dispatcher must respond to trips originating in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island and ending anywhere in the five boroughs, Westchester and Nassau counties, and the three regional airports;
  
  
  
• The dispatch system will be supported through a fee levied on the FHV industry;
  
  
  
• All drivers who operate a wheelchair-accessible FHV will be trained in passenger sensitivity and wheelchair assistance;
  
  
  
• Instead of many providers of accessible service there will be one dispatcher responsible for providing this service;
  
  
  
• The dispatcher will be responsible for conducting passenger and driver satisfaction evaluations via focus groups, and to collect data to gauge the system's performance on an ongoing basis.
  

The Medallion Taxicab and For-Hire Vehicle Accessible Dispatch program is a part of the Bloomberg Administration's comprehensive initiative to provide more and better transportation options for persons with disabilities.

Another facet of this initiative was unveiled in tandem with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on December 15, 2010, as Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, MTA Chairman/ CEO Jay Walder and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn together launched a pilot program to issue pre-paid debit cards to Manhattan Access-A-Ride customers who do not require wheelchair accessible transportation. These system users would instead hail medallion taxicabs at a significant savings as compared to rides they had previously taken in wheelchair accessible vehicles.

The MTA anticipates a nearly 70% reduction in per trip costs for serving the participants in this program while providing a comfortable and convenient alternative.To date there are 401 customers enrolled in the program who have taken 5,912 trips (2,125 trips in March alone).

The FHV RFP will be officially released today with responses due no later than June 3, 2011. It may be viewed through WWW.NYC.GOV/TAXI.

The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) was created in 1971, and is the agency responsible for the regulation and licensing of almost 200,000 yellow medallion taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles, their drivers, and the businesses that operate and support their industries. It is recognized as the largest and most active taxi and limousine regulatory body in the United States.

To find out more about the TLC, or to review its rules, regulations and procedures, we encourage you to visit our official website at WWW.NYC.GOV/TAXI or call 311 in New York City, or 212-NEW-YORK from outside of New York City.

NEW TLC SERVICE ALLOWS RENEWING DRIVER LICENSEES TO PAY FEES ONLINE WITH CREDIT CARDS

The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is pleased to announce a new service that will allow holders of TLC driver licenses to pay their license renewal fees online with a credit card. This new service enhancement, a component of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's NYC Simplicity initiative, will improve processing times, speed the transaction and add convenience to the renewal process. NYC Simplicity is focused on simplifying all interactions between people and organizations and City government.

"Our goal with NYC Simplicity is to provide easier and simpler ways for all New Yorkers to engage their government," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Stephen Goldsmith. "Our cab drivers are a vital part of our transportation network providing hundreds of thousands of reliable trips every day. Allowing online payment of their license renewal fees will help us provide the high level of customer service they deserve."

"This innovation allows any of our current licensees to pay license renewal fees online, potentially shaving as much as a week off the time it takes from application to license if all other requirements are met," said TLC Commissioner David Yassky, "but more importantly, it saves them the time, trouble and expense of paying by mail or in person."

The TLC worked closely with the design team of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) on the project, as it has on many other customer service based projects, some of which have been realized with others still in the proverbial pipeline.

"Technology empowers City agencies to better serve New Yorkers, in this case the more than 100,000 TLC licensed drivers who help move the city daily," said DoITT Commissioner Carole Post. "With quick and secure payments through online license renewal drivers can spend more time on the road, and less time standing in line."

"This is a great innovation and will go a long way in making life a little easier for taxi drivers for whom spare time is a rare commodity after working 60 hour weeks," said Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of the 15,000 member New York Taxi Workers Alliance. "Renewing online will save a day driver from losing shift time when every hour counts or let a night driver spend some extra hours at home before setting out for work. NYTWA will offer free computer access and assistance to all drivers looking to renew online."

This new service enhancement is available to driver licensees who are Master Card, Visa, AMEX or Discover Card holders and who are eligible to renew their license by mail. This new service enhancement was made available on the morning of April 28, 2011 and can be accessed at:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/licenses/drivers.shtml.

Renewing driver license applicants may continue to send their renewal license fee payments directly to the TLC through the standard lockbox process using money orders or certified checks via U.S. Mail or by visiting our Licensing facility where they can pay by money order, certified check or a Master Card, Visa, AMEX and Discover card.

To avoid long lines and wait times, renewing licensees should renew as early as possible, either online or through the lockbox. It's easy, safe and convenient.

To find out more about this payment option or the TLC, or to review its rules, regulations and procedures we encourage you to visit the agency's official website at www.nyc.gov/taxi or call 311 in New York City, or 212-NEW-YORK from outside of New York City.