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NYC TLC MEDALLION AUCTION TO BE HELD IN NOVEMBER 2013. INDUSTRY NOTICE #13-36 MEDALLION TAXICAB DRIVER HEALTHCARE SERVICES FEEOn July 12, 2012, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) approved a 17% fare increase for taxi drivers and, alongside this fare increase, authorized the collection from taxi drivers of a $0.06 per trip fee to fund a taxi driver healthcare services entity. The purpose of this entity is to assist taxi drivers in choosing the best health care coverage available on the health care exchange being created by the Affordable Care Act, and to provide taxi drivers with disability coverage over and above that which is required to be provided to them by medallion owners. The TLC hereby directs that BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2013, medallion taxicab drivers, including owner-drivers, will be required to pay this $0.06 per trip fee, and medallion owners or their agents will be required to withhold this amount and remit it to the TLC as instructed. TPEP providers will provide drivers and medallion owners with an accounting for the amounts to be withheld in each shift. Note to Taxi Drivers: Passengers may not be charged extra for this fee, and you may not collect more than the metered fare plus tip from any passenger. Note to Medallion Owners or Agents: You will receive a quarterly invoice or report from your TPEP provider similar to the existing process for collection and payment of the $0.50 MTA tax. In accordance with the instructions included with that report, you will be required to make payment to TLC for all healthcare fee amounts attributable to the medallions managed by you during the relevant quarter. The first such payment (for the quarter ending December 31, 2013) will be due to the TLC by January 20, 2014. The payments received by the TLC will be maintained in an independent account, and will be used exclusively for the provision of healthcare and disability services for eligible medallion taxicab drivers. If you have any questions concerning the collection or payment of this fee, please contact driverhealthcareproject@tlc.nyc.gov. $15,000 GRANTS TO PERSONS ACQUIRING VEHICLES TO BE USED AS ACCESSIBLE STREET HAIL LIVERIESNEW YORK CITY TAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION Notice of Public Hearing and Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Rules What are we proposing? The rule would set forth standards for the issuance of grants to persons acquiring vehicles to be used as Accessible Street Hail Liveries. This legislation allows New York City to issue up to 18,000 transferable licenses to for-hire vehicles authorizing them to pick up passengers by street hail anywhere outside Manhattan (except for the airports) and in Manhattan north of West 110th Street and north of East 96th Street. Up to 6,000 of these licenses for Street Hail Liveries can be issued in the first year of the program. Twenty percent of these licenses will be set aside for wheelchair accessible vehicles. As provided in the legislation, the TLC will make grants totaling up to $54 million available for SHL licensees who plan to purchase or upfit a vehicle for use as an Accessible Street Hail Livery. As it moves forward to implement the program provided for in the legislation, the TLC is proposing rules that will govern the grant program. These rules provide that:
When and where is the Hearing? The Commission will hold a public hearing, at which the public and interested parties are invited to submit comments and testimony on the proposed rules, at 9:00 a.m. on October 17, 2013. This hearing will be held in the Commission’s public hearing room at 33 Beaver St., New York, NY on the 19th Floor. How do I comment on the proposed rules? Anyone can comment on the proposed rules by:
Is there a deadline to submit written comments? Yes, you must submit written comments by October 16, 2013. Do you need assistance to participate in the Hearings? You must tell the Office of Legal Affairs if you need a reasonable accommodation of a disability at the Hearing. You must tell us if you need a sign language interpreter. You can tell us by mail at the address given above. You may also tell us by telephone at 212-676-1135. You must tell us by Thursday, October 10, 2013. Can I review the comments made on the proposed rules? A few days after the hearing a transcript of the hearing and copies of the written comments will be available to the public at the Office of Legal Affairs. What authorizes the Commission to make this rule? Sections 1043 and 2303 of the City Charter and section 19-503 of the City Administrative Code, together with the provisions of state legislative bills S5825 and A8496 signed into law on December 23, 2011 and the provisions of S6118-A and A8691-A, signed into law on February 17, 2012, authorize the Commission to make this proposed rule. This proposed rule was not included in the Commission’s regulatory agenda for this Fiscal Year because it was not contemplated when the Commission published the agenda. Where can I find the Commission’s rules? The Commission’s rules are in title 35 of the Rules of the City of New York. What rules govern the rulemaking process? The Commission must meet the requirements of Section 1043 of the City Charter when creating or changing rules. This notice is made according to the requirements of Section 1043(b) of the City Charter.
On December 23, 2011 Governor Cuomo signed into law chapter 602 of the Laws of 2011, and on February 17, 2012, signed into law chapter 9 of the Laws of 2012 which amended the previous statute.
Photo: Elena Michaels |
