OCTOBERJULY 20102014 •• TAXITAXI INSIDERINSIDER •• PAGEPAGE 11 INSIDER VOL. 15, NO. 10 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” OCTOBER 2014 Letters Start on Page 3 EDITORIAL • Insider News By David Pollack Page 5 • Will The MTA Tax Go Up? Updated Relief Stands During a political battle that I was part of years When has the MTA ever helped the taxi industry? Page 6 ago, I was told the MTA and their “friend” Carl Uh, wait for it………….NEVER! • Kruger originally wanted a $2.00 surcharge on each The current MTA debt is $33 billion with yearly taxi fare. That increase was in addition to a commuter payments totaling $2.4 billion, yet the MTA just A Mess Of A Ride mobility tax. Some called it a victory when revealed an additional $32 billion capital By Abe Mittleman a reduction of that proposed $2.00 “taxi tax” plan. The MTA will be short another $15 Page 7 became 50 cents on each fare. For years billion. That will increase the annual debt • now, the insulting 50 cents is charged on payments by $1 billion if the MTA borrows Taxi Attorney the meter and collected by the driver, and the $15 billion needed to close this historic By Michael Spevack remitted by the owner quarterly, all in the fi nancial gap. Subway and Bus fares are name of the Metropolitan Transit Author- already scheduled to go up about 4% and Page 15 ity. More recently, the MTA has hi-jacked believe me, no politician that is “running” • at least one lane on all major avenues in wants to add an additional increase to the IATR Release Manhattan that have become for “Buses planned fares. So in the name of saving By Matthew W. Daus Only”-some 24/7 causing more traffi c for the eight million daily fares from paying Page 16 their mobile tax collectors, namely us. Add- more, the MTA must get creative once • ing to the insult, MTA buses get to make left turns again in fi nding more ways to increase their income, at major intersections from 57th Street, 42nd Street, “or else.” Street Talk 34th Streets while taxis with passengers need to go In an attempt to sway voters to support ANY By Erhan Tuncel many blocks out of their way instead of the most direct actions the MTA takes, the MTA revealed a safety Page 17 route. We also get summonses for picking up and problem at 24% of subway stations. A quarter of • dropping off passengers in those same a bus lanes, them have dangerous exposed wiring. Additionally, Quotable Quotes even when we are ALLOWED to do so. What do the MTA plans to purchase 406 new buses so that Page 19 we get for our 50 cent MTA surcharge- NOTHING! (Continued on Page 6) • About Your Taxes Why Are Bus Lanes 24 TLC Driver Safety By Robert J. Mackle Hours Especially On 1st Page 19 Honor Roll • And 2nd Avenues? In February 2014 Mayor de Blasio released the Vi- Zero Vision sion Zero Action Plan, a roadmap of new initiatives across the city that will move the city towards its goal Pages 20 and 21 of zero traffi c fatalities by 2024. As part of this plan, • TLC committed to recognizing the safest taxi and Economy for-hire vehicle drivers on the road by creating a TLC Page 27 & 34 Safety Honor Roll. • The 2014 TLC Safety Honor Roll is the fi rst annual Hotel Listing list recognizing taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers who have outstanding records of safe driving over many years Page 28 and 30 and millions of miles behind the wheel. TLC has high • standards for all of its over 115,000 licensed drivers, Insider Directory and on a mile-per-mile basis TLC-licensed drivers are Page 32 some of the safest drivers on New York City streets. • Dear Taxi Dave, The 295 drivers on the 2014 TLC Safety Honor Roll Events and More On 1st Ave from Houston to 49th and from 79th represent a truly elite group. TLC reviewed of all of its to 125th Streets are 24 hour bus lanes. We are scared licensed drivers’ records and identifi ed 295 drivers who Start on Page 29 to pick up fares because many of my friends and my have, over fi ve years or more, not had a single crash • driver get tickets after one month. This is one example involving injury, a single traffi c violation, or a single Around The World of why driving a taxi is so hard today. violation of TLC safety-related rules. Page 46 Avneek (8 years old) and Balwinder Singh These remarkable drivers will be recognized for See More Drivers on page 3 and 4. (Continued on Page 6) PAGE 2 • TAXI INSIDER • OCTOBER 2014 Life is full of risks! Are you protected? Without the proper insurance protection you could be financially devastated. The insurance experts atMEMBER BROKERAGE SERVICE, LLC, will help protect you from these unforeseen hazards AND save you money in the process. We offer you flexible and affordable terms with NO broker fees. • Automobile Insurance • Life & Health Insurance • Homeowners & Renters Insurance • Business Insurance • Disability Insurance • Workers Compensation & DBL • Long-Term Care Insurance For more information, call MBS at (718) 523-1300 or stop by our office.MBS is a member of the Professional Insurance Agents Association. 139-30 Queens Blvd., INSURANCE Briarwood, NY 11435 Phone: (718) 523-1300 Fax: (718) 526-1205 A Melrose Credit Union Service Organization www.memberbrokerage.com OCTOBER 2014 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 3 LETTERS JULY 2010 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 1 INSIDER Electronic Fastest Way Publisher & Speeding Tickets Dear Taxi Dave, 6000 electronic speeding tickets were written Editor-in-Chief in one day at the bottom of the exit ramp of Ocean David Pollack Parkway, off the belt parkway. That’s $300,000 for the city of New York, without any input whatsoever as to safely while exiting the Belt parkway. One camera, one location, 6000 tickets. There’s defi nitely Columnists something wrong with this picture. A Concerned Cabbie Matthew Daus, Esq. Tony Falese Crown Plaza JFK Shame On You Larry Fisher Dear Taxi Dave Dear Taxi Dave, Ira Goldstein, Esq. When a fare from the airport or Queens wants to go to I have a story for you, that hopefully, with your the west side of Manhattan, I take the 59th Street Bridge help, will get some traction, and audience. My name Bob Mackle instead of the Midtown Tunnel which should be easier. is Bogdan Gheorghies, driving a yellow cab, now Traffi c on eastbound 35th, 37th and 39th Streets is too Abe Mittleman for almost 20 years.Yesterday,09/27/2014, around congested with just one crosstown lane opened. The city 10 p.m. I dropped off 2 young ladies at the Crown should open more than one lane on each x-town street. Michael Spevack, Esq. Plaza-JFK airport hotel. While the young ladies were Passengers and drivers would not mind paying a toll exiting my cab,2 middle eastern men approached if they could get crosstown in a reasonable amount me, asking me how much it will be to take them to of time. It is faster to take the 59er. Times Square. Right after I’ve told them that it runs Chow Yumein Layout & Graphics on the meter, and it’s going to be around $60.00 toll included, a doorman literally stopped them to enter Dragonfl y Graphics LLC my cab telling them, and I quote, “you cannot take Right? this taxi, it’s illegal”! And then repeated the whole Dear Taxi Dave, thing. I thought that I was hallucinating, it happened What right does a rich man have to have a luxury Taxi Insider right in front of my front right window that was wide car at a moments notice , at taxi prices, when it comes open. I was in no mood for an altercation, but still, at the expense of a taxi drivers income? 14 Alexander Drive I asked the doorman how he can lie like that right Michael in front of my face. He did not reply and took the Washingtonville, NY 10992 potential customers away. With the word “illegal” still ringing in my ears, I got out and asked for his Lanes And More Lanes Phone: (718) 706-TAXI(8294) name [the doorman].He pointed out his name tag — that was impossible to read because it was facing down to the ground. He insisted that we-yellow E-mail:[email protected] cabs-can only pick up from inside JFK airport. I — asked to speak to a manager, but he claimed twice that there is no manager on duty and tried to make Website: TaxiSafety.com me go away. Finally I found a manager on duty [the — doorman lied of course] who, despite the fact that she gave me the doorman’s name-Charles,refused Follow Us On Twitter to answer why the doorman lied about no manager @Taxisafetynyc on duty at that time, why his name tag was facing down making it unreadable, and why he called my attempt to pick up those passengers “illegal”. She Dear Taxi Dave Copyright © 2014 by TAXI INSIDER. All also insisted to my complete shock and disbelief rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor that we yellow cab drivers, can only pick up pas- Driving used to be good. Now with bike lanes on the left and bus lanes on the right, where are you any part therof may be reproduced, copied, sengers inside JFK airport. When I asked for her or transmitted in any form, electronic or name, a security man told me that it’s time for me supposed to pickup and drop off? Gurmeet Singh mechanical including photocopying, mi- to leave.