NEWS

CITY HALL, NY – The City Council's Transportation Committee, chaired by Council Member John Liu, in an oversight hearing questioned the basis and timeframe of the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) mandate passed last year requiring all new taxicab vehicles achieve fuel efficiency standards of 25 Miles Per Gallon ("MPG") by October 2008 and 30 MPG by October 2009.

Chairperson Liu stated: "Especially with recent spikes in gas prices hitting home for nearly everyone, it's clear that now more than ever, clean air, fuel efficient vehicles are important to clean up New York City's air, and one way to do that is to clean up the For-Hire car industry. However, the TLC needs to answer legitimate questions about the practicality of the greatly accelerated time frame for MPG mandates and about the safety and durability of hybrid-electric vehicles currently on the market."

Disability rights advocates argue that these MPG mandates with fast approaching deadlines will be an obstacle to the goals for a 100% accessible fleet because accessible "hybrid" vehicles are currently not available on the market. Less than five months away from the mandate's first deadline there is still insufficient supply for the "hybrid" vehicles, accessibility goals have not been met, and substantial safety concerns have yet to be resolved.

Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner testified: "The TLC's deadline of October 1, 2008, for achieving the 25 miles per gallon standard is simply not realistic. Vehicle manufacturers and the vast majority of the taxi industry have made this clear: there will not be enough vehicles available… I have been urging the TLC to move toward a taxi fleet that is fully accessible for riders with disabilities…Unfortunately, the TLC's time table suggests that political imperatives are taking precedence over the needs of taxi riders and the general public. From a publicity standpoint, accessible taxis may not be as attractive as green taxis but they are no less important. I urge the TLC to reconsider the October 1st deadline."

According to Ron Sherman, President of the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade and himself a taxicab fleet owner, "When Toyota, the world's largest hybrid car manufacturer, says that it will not support any of it's hybrids as NYC taxicabs, and says 'our engineers are nervous about it because they were not designed for commercial use', the City should pause and rethink this mandate." Not only are the cars not available, he said, but the parts that are necessary to consistently maintain a safe and well operating fleet are not available.

You MUST use the meter for ALL fares. This includes the $45 Flat Fare to and from JFK and Manhattan. It also includes negotiated fares.

All drivers (of technology system-equipped taxicabs) must accept credit cards!

Below are the meter codes you should use:

• Rate Code 1- Regular Fare
  
  
  
• Rate Code 2- $45 Flat/JFK Fare
  
  
  
• Rate Code 3- Newark ($15 surcharge/$17.50 initial fare)
  
  
  
• Rate Code 4- Out of City (Engage at Nassau/ Westchester Border)
  
  
  
• Rate Code 5- Negotiated Fare

Visit Taxi and Limousine Commission Web site at: http://www.nyc.gov/taxi

The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is pleased to announce that a pilot program to test the functionality and public acceptance of Induction Loop Systems is now underway. This pilot project constitutes the technology’s first taxicab testing program in the nation.

Induction Loop technology, which is in common use in many public buildings and attractions in Europe as well as in an increasing number of such locations in the United States, is a device that transmits sound directly to hearing aids equipped with a “T-coil” or to cochlear implants. Rather than simply amplifying ambient sound as hearing aids do, the Induction Loop broadcasts the specifically isolated sound directly to an equipped individual. In creating the framework for this pilot program the TLC worked closely with advocates for people with hearing loss, the Mayor’s Office for Persons with Disabilities (MOPD), and MOPD Commissioner Matthew Sapolin.

The pilot program authorized by the TLC allows each participating manufacturer of the devices to install and test them in up to 15 vehicles each for a period of one year at which time the program will be evaluated for specific criteria set forth in the “Statement of Outline for Pilot Program to Test Induction Loop Technology in Medallion Taxicabs”

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/downloads/pdf/outline_f or_pilot_program.pdf

At present, one manufacturer is participating (AssistiveAudio) and six vehicles are equipped, with more expected shortly.

Said TLC Commissioner/Chairman Matthew W. Daus, “The TLC has always welcomed the testing of new technologies that can in any tangible way improve service for the people who use taxicabs and for-hire vehicles. It is always exciting to be the first regulator in the nation to do something new and innovative, but testing induction loop technology is particularly meaningful for us in light of the passion of those who have advocated for its use.”

“The city is committed to improving transportation options for all citizens, and this program illustrates one way in which we can do so for people who are hard of hearing,” said Matthew Sapolin, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People With Disabilities. “The TLC, through partnerships with my office, disabled constituents and the taxi industry, has been and continues to be a creative force in identifying ways to address the varying needs of the diverse population that utilize taxies in the city.”

Said Janice Schacter, Chair of the Hearing Access Program, a national advocacy program for people with hearing loss, “It is wonderful that New York City taxis participating in this project are the first in the country to be accessible to people with hearing loss. My daughter can feel confident that she can hear clearly if a driver in a participating cab asks her a question.”

Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Public Affairs
40 Rector Street, 5th Floor
New York NY 10006
Tel: 212-676-1013, Fax: 212-676-1101

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