Tips for Safe Riding in New York City

As you know well, there have recently been some disturbing news stories nationally about passengers being harmed after getting into a car they thought was a requested app car, such as the University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson (https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/30/us/south-carolina-missing-college-student/index.html).

The TLC created the tips below for passengers as part of our new SafePlate campaign.

• Using an app to take a ride? Check the vehicle license plates on your app – and don’t get in unless they match.You can also ask the app driver who he or she is picking up, and make sure the name matches yours.


• All app and livery cars are licensed, have commercial for-hire insurance, and checked for safety by the TLC. They have one TLC blue decal on the front windshield, and two on the side of the car.

• Professional, TLC-licensed drivers will not approach you on the street and ask if you need a ride. Never get in if this happens. When you ride with a TLC-licensed driver and vehicle, you have peace of mind that the driver has been drug tested,undergone a criminal background check, and completed a driver education course that includes customer service and traffic safety. The vehicle has full commercial for-hire insurance, and has been inspected.


• Want to hail a car on the street? Only taxis are licensed to pick up hails in New York City. Yellow taxis can be hailed anywhere, and green taxis can be hailed in upper Manhattan and the outerboroughs. Both have metered rates and offer a flat rate of $52 between Manhattan and JFK Airport, in addition to surcharges and tolls.


• TLC-licensed commuter vans have one TLC blue decal on the front, two on the side, and one on the vehicle rear. When you get into an unlicensed van, the driver has not had a criminal background check or passed a drug test, and the van might not have insurance.