DECEMBER 2019 www.taxiliverytimes.com Vol.20 No. 12

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An Insider’s Look at Both NYC TLC Regulated Industries CITY COUNCIL MULLS RESTRICTED FHV LICENSES, TASK FORCE

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Después de la audiencia que el Consejo Municipal celebró el 18 de noviem - FORCE COMING IN 2020? bre, viví inmediatamente un momento de optimismo moderado, debido a que las licencias “restringidas” que se solicitaron hace más de seis meses se otorgarían Immediately following City Council’s Nov. 18 hearing, I felt a mo - a las bases tradicionales de vehículos de alquiler (For-Hire Vehicle, FHV). Estas ment of cautious optimism that traditional For-Hire Vehicle (FHV) licencias, cuya finalidad es ayudar a las bases tradicionales a recuperar terreno bases would be granted the “restricted” licenses they requested more y cubrir las auténticas demandas de servicio por parte de los clientes, permitirían than six months ago. Designed to help traditional bases regain some a los conductores afiliarse a una base tradicional de vehículos de alquiler, Black ground and accommodate their customers’ very real demands for serv - Car o limusinas de lujo, pero no aceptar despachos de servicios de FHV de alto ice, these licenses would allow drivers to affiliate with a traditional volumen. Livery, Black Car or Luxury Limousine base, but not accept dispatches Lamentablemente, ya estoy poniendo en duda si esto sucederá, ni qué decir from high-volume FHV services. si sucederá lo suficientemente rápido como para evitar que más bases quiebren. Unfortunately, I’m already questioning whether this will happen De acuerdo con Cira Angeles, vocera de Dueños de Bases de Vehículos de at all, let alone quickly enough to save more bases from going under. Alquiler (Livery Base Owners, LBO), tan solo el año pasado, 47 bases cerraron According to Cira Angeles, spokesperson for the Livery Base Owners sus puertas, y el número de conductores de la industria que trabajan para el seg - (LBO), 47 bases closed their doors in the past year alone, and the num - mento de vehículos de alquiler se redujo de 24,000, en 2014, a 9000, en 2019. ber of drivers working for the Livery segment of the industry dropped Las licencias restringidas podrían ayudar a detener esa pérdida incesante from 24,000 in 2014 to 9,000 in 2019. o, al menos, contenerla. Actualmente, las bases tradicionales que quedan no cuentan con suficientes Restricted licenses could help stop that hemorrhaging, or at least conductores como para satisfacer la demanda de los clientes, lo que crea un cír - stem the flow of blood. culo vicioso que empeora cada vez más la situación. Resulta que el tope, que es - In their current state, the remaining traditional bases do not have taba previsto para evitar que empresas como Uber y Lyft plagaran las calles de enough drivers to provide rides for their customers, creating a vicious más conductores, está perjudicando mucho más a las bases que no estaban in - cycle that digs the hole they are in deeper by the day. It turns out the volucradas en los problemas de la industria. cap, which was meant to prevent companies like Uber and Lyft from Permítanme interrumpir esta reflexión para darles una buena noticia: En la au - flooding the streets with more drivers, is doing far more damage to diencia de noviembre, el Consejo Municipal sugirió la idea de formar una bases that had no hand in causing the industry’s woes. Let me pause for a moment to offer a shred of good news: “comisión” compuesta por líderes de los segmentos tradicionales de vehículos de At the Nov. alquiler, Black Car y limusinas de lujo, y en verdad parece que seguirán avan - hearing, City Council floated the idea of forming a “task force,” com - zando con esa propuesta. prised of leaders from the traditional Livery, Black Car and Luxury Pero el problema es el siguiente: Si las licencias restringidas no se imple - Limo segments of the industry, and it genuinely seems like they will mentan cuanto antes, es posible que no quede nadie para conformar la comisión. move forward with it. Todos reconocen que hay demasiados vehículos de alquiler circulando, pero, Here’s the problem: If restricted licenses aren’t implemented en lugar de ayudar a resolver los problemas de la industria, el tope no hace más ASAP, there may not be anyone left to join the task force. que aumentar las dificultades y los problemas de las bases tradicionales, que Everyone acknowledges there are too many FHVs on the road, but históricamente crecieron en respuesta a la demanda. Angeles señala que, antes instead of helping solve the industry’s problems, the cap is hurting the de que Uber y Lyft ingresaran al mercado, las bases tradicionales crecían a una wounded, strangling traditional bases that have historically grown in tasa que oscilaba entre el 3 y el 5 % por año. Este crecimiento se produjo de una response to demand. Ms. Angeles points out that – prior to Uber and manera lenta y constante, ya que es imprudente que las bases incorporen más Lyft entering the market – traditional bases grew at a rate of between conductores de los que necesitan, porque debilitan la capacidad de generar in - 3 and 5% per year. They have experienced this slow, steady growth be - gresos de los conductores que ya se encuentran trabajando. Las empresas que funcionan con aplicaciones no tienen esas limitaciones. cause it’s unwise for bases to bring on more drivers than they need, Ni siquiera deben demostrar una rentabilidad. Al contrario, plagaron las calles since it undermines the earning capacity of their existing drivers. de más conductores de los que necesitan para demostrar a sus inversores que The app companies have no such constraints. They don’t even have están “creciendo”. Pero, ¿a expensas de qué? to show a profit. Instead, they have flooded the streets with more driv - En la audiencia de noviembre, el Reverendo Rubén Díaz, concejal municipal, ers than they need to show their investors they are “growing.” But at preguntó a los líderes de la industria de vehículos de alquiler si el negocio había what cost? mejorado, ahora que muchos de sus competidores se habían desmoronado. Lam - At the Nov. hearing, City Councilman, Reverend Rubén Díaz entablemente, esto demuestra una falta de comprensión de lo que en verdad está asked leaders of the Livery industry if business had picked up now sucediendo. La competencia normal es saludable, pero empresas como Uber y that so many of their competitors had died on the vine. This unfortu - Lyft no son competidores “normales”. nately shows a lack of understanding of what is really happening. Nor - En su declaración al Consejo Municipal, Angeles observó que “las prácticas mal competition is healthy, but companies like Uber and Lyft are not depredadoras de los servicios de vehículos de alquiler de alto volumen, en com - “normal” competitors. binación con los esfuerzos injustos e ineficaces del Municipio por regular los ve - In her statement to City Council, Ms. Angeles noted that, “The hículos de alquiler en el nuevo milenio, están destruyendo una de las industrias predatory practices of the high-volume for-hire-vehicle services, com - más emblemáticas de la ciudad de Nueva York y dejando sin trabajo a miles de bined with the City’s unfair and ineffective efforts to regulate for-hire personas, además de causarles estragos a los usuarios de barrios marginados y vehicles in the new millennium, are destroying one of NYC’s most em - mucho sufrimiento a los trabajadores, las familias y los emprendedores locales, blematic industries – putting thousands of people out of work, creating cuyo futuro y sustento están en riesgo. Hoy, pedimos que intervenga la Comisión havoc for passengers in underserved neighborhoods and causing major de Taxis y Limusinas (Taxi and Limousine Commission, TLC). Si bien nuestros suffering for workers, families and local entrepreneurs whose futures servicios continúan siendo muy necesarios en las comunidades que carecen de and livelihoods are at risk. Today, we are calling on the TLC to inter - alternativas de transporte, este enfoque errado y basado en información incor - vene. Their misguided, misinformed, one-policy-fits-all approach is recta, que pretende crear una sola política que beneficie a todos, es en gran me - dida responsable de la pérdida desproporcionada, abrupta y masiva de widely responsible for the disproportionate, abrupt and massive loss conductores. Es necesario crear una vía para que las pequeñas bases puedan of our drivers, while the need for our services in communities with few reemplazar a los conductores que pierden y sigan manteniendo la calidad del transportation alternatives has remained strong. We need to create a servicio que nuestras comunidades necesitan y merecen. Creemos que la TLC lane for the small bases to replace the drivers they lose and continue puede lograr este cambio a través de su proceso de reglamentación y solicitamos to keep up with the quality of service that our communities need and al Consejo Municipal que respalde a la TLC en ese proceso. Sin embargo, si la deserve. We believe the TLC can make this change through its rule - TLC no aborda adecuadamente nuestra necesidad de que se implemente una li - making process and ask that City Council support the TLC in that cencia restringida, solicitamos al Consejo Municipal que tome medidas a nivel process. However, if the TLC fails to adequately address our needs for legislativo para garantizar que nuestras pequeñas bases y sus conductores a restricted license, we ask that City Council take legislative action to puedan seguir trabajando y coexistiendo en el ámbito de los vehículos de ensure our small bases and their drivers can continue to operate and alquiler”. co-exist in the for-hire vehicle landscape.” Creo que no hay nada más que agregar, excepto hacer llegar al Consejo Mu - I’m not sure what else to say, except to offer this plea to City Coun - nicipal y a la TLC la siguiente petición: POR FAVOR, aceleren el proceso que cil and the TLC: PLEASE fast-track restricted licenses for traditional logre que se otorguen licencias restringidas a las bases tradicionales de FHV. FHV bases. There’s no time to lose. No hay tiempo que perder. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 5 TAXI DAVE A PROFESSION TO TAKE PRIDE IN

BY “T AXI DAVE ” P OLLACK

It seems like only yesterday when for a clean vehicle. After all, TIPS How so? A medallion owner re - over 500,000 fares a day were common - stands for To Insure Proper Service, cently sent me his monthly and quar - place for yellow cabs, as compared to which includes vehicle cleanliness and terly statements from his app the 202,000 fares the statistics show pristine personal hygiene. company, and they did not match his for July of 2019. Yellow vehicles are newer than drivers’ statement. The owners’ It has been almost a year since ever before and those driving know amount due was higher than his dri - Chairwoman of the NYC Taxi & Lim - that there is real money to be earned ver’s, causing him to pay more than he ousine Commission, Meera Joshi an - in our NYC transportation segment. collected from his driver. Driver and nounced her resignation to move So, take care of your cars and your - owner MTA surcharges must be equal! forward with her life. Since her depar - selves and the passengers will return! If the owner does not pay the amount ture, ridership has continued to slip in At a recent Transportation Com - requested, he could be charged a 200% the yellow medallion sector as rider - mittee Hearing that I attended at City penalty. ship increases in the app sector, which Hall, TLC Chairman Heinzen stated Again, whatever amount an owner is what took its toll on yellow values to that Mayor De Blasio’s policy was not is charged for such surcharges must be begin with. to bailout medallion owners. That was the same for owner and driver alike. Is this the fault of the acting TLC after City Council Member Mark We are all hurting, when it comes Chairman after almost a year, or had Levine stated that he is dedicated to to medallion values. And when it the damage been so egregious prior to making sure that some of the almost $1 comes to ridership in the non-app or Meera Joshi leaving that it would take billion the city made at medallion auc - pure FHV ridership, they are in the years for an inherently immigrant- tions repays those who have lost their same boat as yellows. According to tes - based industry to rebound regardless life’s savings purchasing a medallion – timony from Cira Angeles, Livery and of new policies? and that credit unions and banks do non-app Black Car Bases have also Fear not! On the positive side, in - NOT end up with any money the city been crippled with almost two thirds of come per medallion seems solid at ap - would provide to those medallion pur - their vehicle owners leaving for app proximately $25-$30 per hour, even chasers. This statement comes from companies as well. Cira stated that with stagnant gridlock, even with con - the one city council member who was four years ago there were 25,000 Liv - tinued increases in app competition the CEO of a credit union prior to be - ery vehicles and today there are 9,000. under the phony cap, even with ap - coming a council member. That is why, at a recent Transportation proximately 2,000 medallions off the That said, there is no better time Committee hearing at City Hall, the road and in “storage” at the NYC TLC. for an owner-driver or two career driv - FHV industry asked New York City to The yellow sector needs to “win our ers to purchase a medallion! A bold approve new “Restricted Licenses” that passengers back” with grassroots ideas statement, but it is the truth! When will limit any new vehicle’s work for a and there are ways to accomplish this, two drivers gross income for 12 months “pure” livery or Black Car Base with - beginning with cleaner vehicles and equals or exceeds the current purchas - out any UBER or LYFT-type apps. pristine drivers. Most yellow vehicles I ing price, it could be a financial bo - This same NYC FHV industry see working Manhattan streets look nanza for dedicated drivers! Where backed the cap on UBER vehicles and spotless and most drivers act and dress else can you buy a business and have now needs help, as we do. Issuing re - in a professional manner and have the full gross return in one year? stricted FHV vehicle licenses may be pride in themselves and their vehicles. To be clear, for less than the down- the first step for medallion owners to Yet I still do see some dirty vehicles payment to purchase a medallion four attain a second medallion or city funds and I have hailed one or two that years ago, you can purchase a medal - to replenish their losses. We shall see would drive a loyal yellow customer to lion today outright. what happens. an app. Of course, owners who lease must As my deadline for my editorial ap - On one occasion, after entering a understand that keeping drivers happy proached, this happened: No UBER in yellow cab, I found an unpleasant is as important as winning back our London! Politicians in London declined aroma and coffee cups on the rear floor, passengers. A current yellow T-PEP to renew UBER’s operating license cit - something app passengers rarely expe - company seems to be charging medal - ing public safety concerns. New York - rience, if ever. lion owners and drivers of that same ers can dream, can’t we? Some fleets and agents offer free or medallion different amounts regarding Cold weather is coming and so are discounted car washes: take advantage the MTA tax. This could turn into a the holidays which means more traffic, of these. An extra 15 minutes at a car major blotch on yellow driver and more fares and more money. Good luck wash will more than be made up in tips medallion relations. out there, ladies and gentlemen.

David “Taxi Dave” Pollack is an industry veteran, spokesperson and advocate for drivers in New York City. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. He encourages people with comments or questions to reach out to him, and each month we publish those letters, comments and photos. VISIT: WWW.TAXILIVERYTIMES.COM TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 6 • • DECEMBER 2019 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 7 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 8 • • DECEMBER 2019 QUESTIONS & COMMENTS

Dear Taxi Dave, service provided centered around this area of In 2013, a new technology was introduced: I thought I’d write a few words. the city. app arranged trips. Uber and Lyft began to I’m out there, on these mean streets, and During the 1980s many people found it very flood the CBD now known as the “Exclusionary they are mean. difficult to hail a taxi in the CBD due to the pre - Zone” with their cars. They had used a loop - The slogan for Vision Zero is, “Driving isn’t arranged calls that were being serviced by hole in the law and began invading this “Exclu - easy, but saving a life is”… Well, driving isn’t Medallion taxis. Mayor Koch wanted to issue sionary Zone” as Black Cars, doing easy, but it used to be much easier until De more Medallion Taxis but the industry would prearranged work. Essentially, they were pick - Blasio made so it difficult. not allow it. Politics got in the way. As a result, ing up street hails and calling them “pre - If someone squeezes the arteries of a per - Radio Calls were removed from the taxis and arranged.” son’s veins, they’ll get a blood clot. Same here Radio Groups transferred the prearranged Despite that, the TLC agreed with the classi - – bike lanes and bus lanes and permits for calls to Black Cars. fication of “prearranged,” when in reality, this nonessential construction will cause blockage. The black cars would now do the radio work writer and thousands of others in the industry Listen to the news and you’ll hear a patient in and the Medallion taxis would do the street still to this day do not agree. The definition of an ambulance died on arrival because emer - hails. This solved the problem in the CBD. But “prearranged” has never truly been defined. gency vehicles can’t get through. the need for taxi service in the boroughs was It was brought up in court at the Melrose Car free city? Fine by me, as long as taxis not being satisfied. This led to thousands of case appeal, where TLC lawyers testified that are exempt. Taxis do a service for NYC, like what were known as “Gypsy Taxis” that had it is not about time but about choice of service. buses and trains. Why should taxis not be al - sprung up over the years joining radio groups. Lawyers for Melrose disagreed. Regardless, lowed to drive on ALL city streets and LANES? This made them legal. there is still not a rule or law in writing that can Imagine a world in NYC without taxis? We’ll Since they did not have a medallion, they confirm the definition one way or the other. go back to the 1920s. Chaos!!! needed to be For Hire Vehicles (FHVs), by pre - Common sense would dictate that pre - Let’s restructure the City Council and get this arrangement. But this setup was only a cha - arranged is a call made now for a service at sorted out before more people die on arrival to rade. There were thousands daily in these point in the future. This is what it had been be - t h e h o s p i t a l. Taxi Solomon locations doing calls by street hails because fore Black Cars were given the radio calls. The there were not enough Medallion Taxis to serv - taxis had the radios and the customers ______ice both the CBD and the outer locations of the arranged a time to be picked up. city. A street hail is, for now, regardless of how it Medallion Problem: A Simple Solution In 2011 the Green Taxis came to be. This is done – by either holding up your hand or In 1937, the Haas Act became law in the City idea would legalize the FHVs in the outer bor - sending a message by phone by voice or app. of NY. This law was implemented because oughs to do both prearranged and street hails A passenger is on the street now. So, please there were too many taxis looking for fares, for a small permit fee. These cars were re - come and pick up the passenger now! making it impossible for anyone driving a taxi stricted from doing business in the CBD, ex - So, the question remains: How do we save to make a living. The solution was to limit the cept for delivering passengers that were taken the medallion industry and satisfy all who need number of taxis to both what was needed to there from other parts of the city. The CBD service. serve the public and help the drivers earn a liv - would be known as the “Exclusionary Zone,” in Here is my solution: ing wage. Thus, the Medallion System was that only Medallion Taxis had the right to work 1. Calculate the number of Medallion taxis or born. This system worked well for many years this location. FHVs that are needed in all areas of the City and the service was available in all NYC bor - Many of the FHVs bought in while many re - of New York oughs. belled and continued to do street hails. They 2. Restore the rights and protections that Many things have changed in the 82 years continue to this day and many are summonsed were sold to the Medallion industry. since. In that time, the need for taxi service for this offense. It should also be noted that a. All the street hails in the “Exclusion - grew greatly, especially in the Central Business Uber and Lyft did not only flood the “Exclusion - ary Zone” District (CBD) of Manhattan, extended to East ary Zone,” but they also did the same in the b. Street Hails anywhere in the City of and West 96th Street from the Battery in the areas where Green Cars and other FHVs were New York Financial District. Medallion taxis reached a working. Many of these FHVs also have c. Passengers at the airports will be

point several decades ago where most of the adopted the Uber and Lyft apps. co ns ide re d on demand and not pre -

& Editor’s Notes ...... 4

Taxi Dave ...... 5 An Insider’s Look at Both NYC TLC Regulated Industries Questions & Comments ...... 8 EDITOR/PUBLISHER: Neil Weiss TRANSLATIONS: Taxi News ...... 10 Email: [email protected] The Language Center and NYC TLC E 714 Crestbrook Ave. Taxi and FHV Relief Stands ...... 12 Cherry Hill, N.J. 08003 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: U Tel: 800-723-9119/856-751-0656 Matthew Daus, Esq. Livery News ...... 15 Fax: 856-751-0657 Larry Fisher S Features ...... 18 Bill Heinzen S ADV. SALES MGR./ Bertram Merling

I ART & DESIGN: David Pollack

Directory ...... 20 Michele Norton: 856-262-2368 Steven J. Shanker, Esq. Michael Spevack, Esq.

S Fun & Games ...... 23 I ITAR Outlook By Matthew W. Daus ...... 24 Copyright © 2019 by TAXI & LIVERY TIMES. All rights reserved. Neither

H this newspaper nor any part therof may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted Commissioner’s Corner By Bill Heinzen ...... 26 in any form, without the express written permission of the publishers. The T copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. This The Fishbowl By Larry Fisher ...... 27 publication is not responsible for errors in advertisement beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Bylined articles represent the sole opinion of N The Taxi Attorney By Michael Spevack ...... 30 the writer and are not necessarily in accordance with the views of TAXI & LIV - I ERY TIMES. This Publication reserves the right to limit or refuse advertising Defensive Driving By Bertram Merling ...... 32 it deems objectionable. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES is published monthly at a sub - scription rate of $48 per year. News ...... 33 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 9 Recalls arranged unless a prearrangement is made with an FHV. Nissan 3. Sell permits to FHVs that will allow them is recalling 394,025 vehicles due to a fire risk. It previously recalled to do properly defined prearranged trips in the about 215,000 of these vehicles, but now they’re coming back. Here’s how Nissan Exclusionary Zone. explains it: “These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected 4. Sell permits to FHVs that will be able to do and determined to not need a repair.” street hails and prearranged trips only outside There’s an anti-lock brake pump seal that could deteriorate, causing brake fluid of the Exclusionary Zone. They will be permit - to leak onto an electronic circuit board. If this happens, the circuit board could mal - ted to drop passengers off in the Exclusionary function, causing a short. Nissan says this could cause a fire. The affected vehicles Zone but not pick up either by hail or pre - and model years are as follows: 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, 2016-2017 Nissan arrangement in the Exclusionary Zone. This Maxima, 2015-2017 Nissan Murano and the 2017 Infiniti QX60. solution is not a new idea. It has been around Nissan states that if brake fluid ends up leaking onto the circuit board, the ABS for many years, but the time has come to im - warning light will illuminate in the gauge cluster and remain illuminated for more plement it. than 10 seconds. Should this happen, Nissan says “owners are advised to park Abe Mittleman, NYC Taxi News the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles and structures and not drive it.” ______Owners should expect to see notices from Nissan by December 2. If your car is part of the recall, Nissan will replace the ABS actuator with a newly-designed Dear Neil unit at no cost. This new actuator is reportedly more robust than what it’s replac - I recently saw a New York license plate that ing. Ford Motor Company said LIVERY at the bottom but did not have the is recalling almost 300,000, 2015-2017 Transit vehicles. T and L on each side of the plate number – nor This recall includes all full-size Transit vehicles previously recalled under 17V-408, did it say T&LC at the bottom. Does that mean except ones that received a mechanical universal joint (u-joint) as a remedy and the LIVERY plate is not licensed by the NYC any 156" or 178" wheelbase Chassis Cab and Cut. TLC? The flexible coupling connecting the transmission to the driveshaft may pre - Raul Rodriguez maturely fail. Ford will notify owners, and as an interim repair, dealers will replace the flexible Dear Raul: coupling every 40,000 miles until the final remedy is available. The final remedy The plate marked LIVERY is a New York will consist of installation of a driveshaft front section equipped with a mechanical state plate, registered outside of the city. The u-joint inS upblaacrue of the flexible coupling. other plate pictured is an NYC TLC plate. is recalling over 400,000 vehicles in the U.S. to fix problems with engine computers and debris that can fall into motors. The first recall covers 466,000 Imprezas from 2017-2019, and 2018-2019 Crosstreks. Subaru says the engine computer can keep powering the ignition coil after the motor is shut off, which could cause a short circuit and blown fuse. Dealers will update software and replace coils and front exhaust pipes, if needed. The second recall covers 205,000 Imprezas from 2017-2019 and 2018 Crosstreks. The aluminum positive crankcase ventilation valves can fall apart. De - bris Gcaen eernatle Mr tohteo res ngine and cause power loss. is recalling over 638,000 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four- wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBOCMwn) esrosf twamraey m aayl saoc tivcaoten ttahcet dritvheel ineN-partoiotencatli onH syigshtewmay. Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.sa fercar .gov.

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An Insider’s Look at Both NYC TLC Regulated Industries TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 10 • • DECEMBER 2019 TAXI NEWS JIMMY KIMMEL PRANKS NYC TAXI PASSENGERS

In October, Jimmy Kimmel kicked off a week of shows in Brooklyn, surprising Taxi passengers during an Oct. 21 episode of his ABC late-night talk show. The host opened the segment by explaining that he appears in the programming that plays on the seat-back screens in cabs, and joked that when his videos come on, “most peo - ple immediately hit the mute button.” The Jimmy Kimmel Live! team put a hidden camera in the back of the cab and followed it in a mobile television studio. The cab’s first customer was not amused by the ad and tried to mute the video as she spoke on the phone. During the phone conversation, the passenger told her friend that she was on her way to pick up shoes. “If you need to get your shoes, we can help you pick them up, too,” Kimmel said in the video. The woman tried to mute the screen, but Kimmel called her out. “I don’t know why you keep doing that, but it hurts,” he said as she failed to silence the video. Once the woman realized what was happening, she responded, “I’m so not in the mood.” The host and his sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez explained that it hurts their feelings when people mute their clips. The next passenger was also not amused by the prank, asking the cab driver how to turn off the television. “What do you mean, how do you turn this off?” asked Kimmel. “What are you trying to do? You trying to mute me? Does it strike you as odd that the television is talking to you right now?” Kimmel asked. Kimmel engaged with the final passen - gers, asking how their ride was going. After a moment of silence, he asked again. The woman and man told Kimmel they just saw David Byrne’s American Utopia. Kimmel said Byrne would be on the show later in the week, so the woman asked if they could have tickets. The man and woman didn’t believe the interactive video was “live,” but Kimmel surprised the passengers and gave them tickets to the show. He and Rodriguez then got in the cab and rode away with the cou - ple. Watch the full taxi segment here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/j immy-kimmel-surprises-nyc-taxi-riders- trying-mute-videos-prank-1249230 Source: Hollywood Reporter TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 11

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Our team is licensed by the NYC TLC and has been brokering medallion sales and transfers for over 30+ years! 41-25 36th Street 36-01 43RD Ave. Long Island City, NY 11101 Long Island City, NY 11101 [email protected] Tel: 718.361.0033 Ext. 2989 Tel: 718.361.0055 www.Alltaxi.com ▪ www.PearlandNY.com Email: [email protected] TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 12 • • DECEMBER 2019 Taxi and For-hire Vehicle relief stands allow drivers to park their vehicles for up to one hour. This affords drivers the opportunity to leave their vehicles and take care of per - TAXI AND sonal needs. Taxi relief stands should not be confused with taxi stands, which are locations where drivers can wait in their cars to pick up passengers. DOT is not responsible for regulating taxis. Taxis are regulated by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. DOT regulates taxi relief stands. FOR-HIRE VEHICLE The type column indicates if the relief stand is for taxis alone, or for both taxis and For-Hire Vehicles (FHVs). Staten Island currently has no relief stands. The following information was found at www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/taxire - RELIEF STANDS lief.shtml ( as of July 24, 2018 ). We recommend checking back periodically, in the event changes are made to these lists.

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Tayxpi/eFH V s 1S0t rAeveet ( E. .. s.i d. e. ) ...... W. . C26r oSst s& SWtr 2e8e tSs t Tayxpi e 3S1t rSete (t W .. .s i.d .e )...... 3C4r Aovses &S t3r5e eAtvse Taxi/FHVs 11 Ave (E. side) ...... W 45 St & W 46 St Taxi 31 St (E. side) ...... 37 Ave & 36 Ave Taxi/FHVs 3 Ave (W. side) ...... E 14 St & E 15 St Taxi 31 St (E. side) ...... 38 Ave & 37 Ave Taxi/FHVs 3 Ave (W. side) ...... E 15 St & E 14 St Taxi 34 St (W. side) ...... 37 Ave & 38 Ave Taxi/FHVs 6 Ave (E. side) ...... Thompson St & Grand St Taxi/FHVs 35 St (S. side) ...... Starr Ave & Bradley Ave Taxi/FHVs 6 Ave (W. side) ...... W 22 St & W 23 St Taxi/FHVs 36 St (E. side) ...... Skillman Ave & 43 Ave Taxi/FHVs 6 Ave (W. side) ...... W 38 St & W 39 St Taxi 43 Ave (N. side) ...... 35 St & 36 St Taxi/FHVs 6 Ave (W. side) ...... W 39 St & W 40 St Taxi/FHVs 43 Ave (N. side) ...... 11 St & 12 St Taxi/FHVs 6 Ave (W. side) ...... W 55 St & W 56 St Taxi 44 Rd (S. side) ...... 21 St & 11 St Taxi/FHVs 8 Ave (W. side) ...... W 46 St & W 47 St Taxi/FHVs 43 Ave (N. side) ...... 36 St & 37 St Taxi 9 Ave (E. side) ...... W 30 St & W 29 St Taxi 49 St (W. side) ...... Newtown Rd & Northern Blvd Taxi Ave A (W. side) ...... E 2 St & E. Houston St Taxi/FHVs 45 Ave (S. side) ...... Jackson Ave & 23 St Taxi/FHVs Church St *E Rdway (W. side) ...... Franklin St & White St Taxi/FHVs 47 Ave (S. side) ...... 11 St & Vernon Blvd Taxi/FHVs E 116 St (S. side) ...... 3 Ave & 2 Ave Taxi 55 St (E. side) ...... Queens Blvd & Roosevelt Ave Taxi E 15 St (N. side) ...... Irving Place & Union Square E Taxi 64 St (W. side) ...... 34 Ave & 35 Ave Taxi E 23 St (N. side) ...... 1 Ave & 2 Ave Taxi/FHVs 61 St (E. side) ...... Roosevelt Ave & 39 Ave Taxi E 26 St (S. side) ...... 3 Ave & 2 Ave Taxi Queens Blvd (S. side) ...... 50 St & 51 St Taxi E 27 St (S. side) ...... Park Ave S & Madison Ave Taxi/FHVs Pearson St (W. side) ...... Jackson Ave & DeadEnd Taxi E 28 St (N. side) ...... Park Ave S & Lexington Ave Taxi Queens Blvd (N. side) ...... 55 St & 54 St Taxi/FHVs E 29 St (S. side) ...... Madison Ave & 5 Ave Taxi 37 Ave (N. side) ...... 32 St & 31 St Taxi E 32 St (N. side) ...... Madison Ave & Park Ave S Taxi/FHVs Van Dam St (W. side) ...... Queens Blvd & Skillman Ave Taxi E 77 St (S. side) ...... 1 Ave & 2 Ave Taxi E 78 St (N. side) ...... Lexington Ave & 3 Ave BRONX Taxi E 78 St (S. side) ...... Lexington Ave & 3 Ave Taxi E 86 St (N. side) ...... Henderson Pl & York Ave Tayxpi/eFH V s ES t2r3e3e St t. ( .S . s. i.d .e )...... C. a. r.p .e n. t.e .r .A .v .e .& . CWrhoistes P Slatirnese Rtsd Taxi E 87 St (S. side) ...... 1 Ave & 2 Ave Taxi Park Ave (E. side) ...... E 135 St & E 138 St Taxi/FHVs Grand St (N. side) ...... Forsyth St & Chrystie St Taxi Park Ave (W. side) ...... E 135 St & E 138 St Taxi/FHVs Madison Ave (W. side) ...... E 26 St & E 27 St Taxi/FHVs Pelham Pkwy S (S. side) ...... Wilson Ave & Eastchester Rd Taxi/FHVs Maiden Ln (S. side) ...... Front St & South St Taxi/FHVs W 231 St (N. side) ...... Albany Cr & Broadway Taxi Park Row (E. side) ...... Ann St & Beekman St Taxi/FHVs West Kingsbridge Rd (S. side) ...... Sedgwick Ave & Webb Ave Taxi/FHVs South St (W. side) ...... Wall St & Gouverneur Ln Taxi University Pl (E. side) ...... E 13 St & E 14 St BROOKLYN Taxi W 33 St (N. side) ...... 9 Ave & 10 Ave Taxi W 39 St (S. side) ...... 8 Ave & 9 Ave Tayxpi e 4S tArveee (t W .. .s .id .e .) ...... C . r.o . s.3s SSt t&re 6e tSs t Taxi W 41 St (N. side) ...... 10 Ave & 11 Ave Taxi/FHVs 4 Ave (E. side) ...... Prospect Ave Taxi W 55 St (S. side) ...... 10 Ave & 11 Ave Taxi N 6 St (N. side) ...... Berry St & Wythe Ave Taxi/FHVs W 181 St (S. side) ...... Pinehurst Ave & Fort Washington Ave Taxi New Utrecht Ave (N. side) ...... 55 St & 13 Ave Taxi/FHVs West St (E. side) ...... Laight St & Vestry St TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 13

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Base # B00887 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 14 • • DECEMBER 2019 TAXI NEWS TAXI MEDALLION OWNERS WIN CLASS-ACTION STATUS A lawsuit charging that the city sold back the medallions and return the $360 spite the fact that they did not qualify for 400 taxi medallions under false pre - million they paid. The suit says Medal - these licenses.” tenses about their worth and then lion prices ranged from $803,000 to Both the city and the plaintiffs have breached its contract by letting ride-hail $965,000 for independent medallions and asked the court for summary judgment. operators enter the market and under - $1.025 million to $1.259 million for cor - The city also said the contracts did mine medallion values has been certified porate medallions. Medallions are cur - not imply an “obligation to protect [the as a class-action suit. Brought by five rently selling at private auctions for less medallion purchasers] from competition medallion owners and filed in early Oc - than $150,000 apiece. from app-based companies such as Uber, tober, the suit could now apply to more “Not once before the Auctions did the when their contracts explicitly said oth - than 150 medallion owners, according to City warn prospective buyers that it was erwise, and when Uber was already op - Daniel Ackman, one of the lawyers for about to radically change the economics erating in the market at the time of their the plaintiffs. The decision was delivered of the taxi industry by allowing a mas - purchases.” in Nov. in State Supreme Court in sive influx of new for-hire vehicles – prin - The suit comes at a time when there Queens County. cipally cars hailed through electronic is wider recognition of the hardships The disputed medallions were bought apps – that would decimate the value of medallion owners have faced, highlighted at three NYC Taxi and Limousine Com - the yellow taxi medallions,” the suit says. by multiple suicides. mission (TLC) auctions in 2013 and early “Nor did the TLC disclose that it would 2014. Ackman is asking the city to take license the e-hail taxis as ‘black cars,’ de - Source: Crain’s New York Business TESLA MODEL 3 IS FIRST ELECTRIC NYC TAXI APPROVED BY TLC

The New York City Taxi & Limousine eras and a fare meter. Once outfitted, the Commission (TLC) added the Tesla Model vehicle can run for seven years under an 3 to the list of 20 vehicles allowed for use unrestricted medallion issued by the TLC. as a Taxicab in the city in Oct. NYC For- In a study of NYC Taxis, they were hire Vehicle (FHV) drivers have been found to average 192 miles per day, which using Teslas for some time now, but the fits the 240-mile range that the Model 3 of - Model 3 is the first electric vehicle (EV) fers. New York City also has Tesla-friendly that can be used as a Taxi. charging stations throughout the five bor - To qualify, Teslas will need to be oughs. painted Dupont M6284 yellow, and sport the proper signage, interior security cam - Source: Digital Trends COPS CATCH TEENS WHO SPRAYED DRIVER IN EYES, ROBBED HIM

Police captured a group of young seat passengers sprayed him in the eyes photos of the suspects. All five surren - women who allegedly robbed an NYC with a chemical that caused his eyes and dered at the 79th Precinct on Nov. 4. driver and sprayed him in the face with face to burn. Cops charged Destiny Brown, 18, Sha - chemicals. The driver, Roland Cadet, 47, The teens saw the compartment reese Brown, 19, Kaylin John, 20, and an said he knew something was wrong when where he stashed the $11, and one of unnamed 17-year-old girl with robbery. he picked up the five teenagers and them grabbed roughly $200 before they A fifth suspect, 18-year-old Arayah My - young adults, so he demanded the $18 all ran off. Cadet, who couldn’t open his hand, was charged with attempted rob - fare up front. The women told him they eyes, asked someone on the street to call bery. only had $11 when they got in his mini - police. The responding officers called for It took an hour for Cadet to be able to van near Atlantic Ave. in Bedford- an ambulance, and medics took him to open his eyes again after the attack, and Stuyvesant about 4:30pm on Oct. 23, so Interfaith Medical Center. he’s still having problems reading at he drove them to an ATM. Once they ar - A surveillance camera at the gas sta - night. rived, the front-seat passenger tried to tion where the ATM was located caught grab Cadet’s keys, and one of the back- images of the women. Police released Source: Daily News

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READ TAXI & LIVERY TIMES ONLINE AT www.TAXILIVERYTIMES.com TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 15 LIVERY NEWS DEBRIS FROM SUBWAY SMASHES ESCOMBROS DEL SUBTERRÁNEO APLASTAN EL LIVERY CAR’S WINDSHIELD PARABRISAS DE UN VEHÍCULO DE ALQUILER For the third time in a week, falling debris from elevated Por tercera vez en una semana, cayeron escombros desde las vías subway tracks struck and damaged a car. On Oct. 29, a Livery elevadas del subterráneo y dañaron un automóvil. El 29 de octubre, una driver was underneath the A subway tracks in Queens when a conductora de un vehículo de alquiler se encontraba debajo de las vías 15-pound piece of metal the size of a brick came crashing down del subterráneo A en Queens cuando un trozo de metal de 15 libras del and shattered her car’s rear windshield. tamaño de un ladrillo se cayó y se estrelló contra el parabrisas trasero de su automóvil. In video obtained by NBC, the large piece of metal, called a En el video que obtuvo NBC, se ve cómo cae el gran trozo de metal, D-wedge, is seen falling onto the car in Ozone Park. The driver llamado cuña en D, sobre el automóvil en Ozone Park. La conductora was shaken up but thankfully not injured. She said it sounded estaba conmocionada, pero, afortunadamente, no sufrió lesiones. Dijo like “a bomb going off.” The passenger was also uninjured, but que sonó como si “hubiera estallado una bomba”. Quien viajaba como commented that, “if someone was standing there it could’ve acompañante tampoco sufrió lesiones, pero comentó que “si hubiera killed them, definitely.” habido alguien parado allí, sin dudas lo hubiera matado”. “I’m just grateful that no one was hurt, or worse,” New York “Tan solo agradezco que nadie se haya lastimado o peor”, dijo el pres - City Transit President Andy Byford said. “And I’m obviously idente de Tránsito de la Ciudad de Nueva York, Andy Byford. “Obvia - very sorry that this should have happened to someone’s prop - mente, lamento mucho que haya sucedido esto al bien de alguien”. erty.” El jefe de Tránsito dijo que los escombros deberían haber quedado The transit boss said the debris should have been caught by atrapados en uno de los canastos que están específicamente diseñados con ese fin. En este caso, el canasto estaba conectado por la mitad, en one of the baskets specifically designed for the purpose. In this lugar de estar conectado en sus cuatro lados. La Autoridad Metropoli - case, the basket was hanging halfway off, instead of being con - tana del Transporte (Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA) ha nected on all four sides. The MTA has ordered the inspection of ordenado la inspección de los 325,000 canastos de protección que se en - all 325,000 protective baskets along 60 miles of elevated tracks. cuentran a lo largo de las 60 millas de vías elevadas. Los canastos se The baskets will be tested by hand; additional baskets will be examinarán a mano; se instalarán canastos adicionales en Manhattan installed in Manhattan and the Bronx. The MTA is also testing y el Bronx. La MTA también está probando el uso de redes para poten - out using netting to potentially catch debris, but that is cur - cialmente capturar escombros, pero actualmente es un programa de rently just a trial program. prueba. It was the third complaint about falling debris damaging a Se trató de la tercera queja en una semana con respecto a daños a car in a week, and the sixth time so far in 2019. A large metal automóviles por la caída de escombros, y la sexta en lo que va de 2019. bolt fell from elevated tracks in Long Island City on October 22, Un perno de metal de gran tamaño cayó de vías elevadas en la ciudad de Long Island el 22 de octubre y redujo a trizas el techo corredizo de shattering a driver’s sunroof. Another driver on October 25 said un conductor. Otra conductora comentó el 25 de octubre que se le estrel - debris smashed through her sunroof as she drove in Brooklyn. laron escombros en el techo corredizo mientras conducía por Brooklyn. Source: NBC New York Fuente: NBC New York FHV DRIVER STABS CONDUCTOR DE FHV APUÑALA PASSENGER IN THE BRONX A UN PASAJERO EN EL BRONX A Livery driver, apparently concerned he would not get paid, Un conductor de un vehículo de alquiler apuñaló a un pasajero en stabbed a passenger in the Bronx, police said in October. The el Bronx, aparentemente preocupado con que no le pague, comentó la victim told police that he got out of the car in front of a building policía en octubre. La víctima le contó a la policía que se bajó del au - on Webster Avenue and told the driver he had to go inside to get tomóvil en la puerta de un edificio en Webster Avenue y le dijo al con - money. Unfortunately, the passenger did not make it very far. ductor que debía entrar para buscar dinero. Desafortunadamente, el pasajero no llegó muy lejos. El incidente escaló en el vestíbulo del ed - The incident escalated in the lobby of the building, with the ificio y terminó con el conductor acusado de apuñalar a la víctima del driver accused of stabbing the victim in the left side of his ab - lado izquierdo del abdomen. La policía informó que la víctima fue domen. The victim was taken to a local hospital, police said. trasladada a un hospital local. Police said the vehicle the man was driving was a white Toy - La policía dijo que el vehículo que conducía el hombre era un Toy - ota Camry sedan; he was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt, ota Camry sedán blanco; se lo vio por última vez vestido con una blue jeans and black sneakers. Video of the incident can be camisa de color claro, jean azul y zapatillas negras. El video del inci - viewed here: https://pix11.com/2019/10/21/passenger-in-bronx- dente se puede ver aquí: https://pix11.com/2019/10/21/passenger-in- livery-cab-stabbed-by-driver-nypd/ bronx-livery-cab-stabbed-by-driver-nypd/ Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577- Si tiene información que pueda ser de ayuda para la policía, llame TIPS (8477), visiting www.nypdcrimestoppers.com , downloading a Crime Stoppers al 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visite www.nypd - the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 crimestoppers.com , descargue la aplicación móvil NYPD Crime Stop - pers o envíe un mensaje de texto al 274637 (CRIMES), seguido de (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are TIP577. Si es hispanohablante, marque 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Fuente: PIX11 Source: PIX11

If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, CONFIDENTIAL there is a free, confidential helpline called NYC Well that is always available and accessible in 200 languages. You can call 1-888-NYCWell, or text “WELL” to 65173. However, if HELPLINE you are ever in immediate danger of harming yourself or others, please call 911. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 16 • • DECEMBER 2019 LIVERY NEWS FHV DRIVERS PROTEST TLC’S CONDUCTORES DE FHV PROTESTAN CONTRA “UNNECESSARY” FINES IN OCT. MULTAS “INNECESARIAS” DE LA TLC EN OCTUBRE Conductores de vehículos de alquiler (For-Hire Vehicle, FHV) For-Hire Vehicle (FHV) drivers protested against fines being protestaron contra la entrega de multas por parte de la Comisión de handed out by the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. Over Taxis y Limusinas (Taxi and Limousine Commission, TLC) de NYC. 25 union groups gathered Oct. 30 along E. 149 Street and Trin - Más de 25 sindicatos se reunieron el 30 de octubre a lo largo de E. 149 Street y Trinity Avenue para protestar unidos y acusar a la TLC de at - ity Avenue to protest in unity, accusing the TLC of targeting acar a conductores de forma innecesaria y aprovecharse de ellos. Los drivers for unnecessary reasons and taking advantage of them. líderes sindicalistas afirman que los agentes están simulando parar un Union leaders say agents are pretending to hail a vehicle and vehículo y, una vez que se detiene el conductor, le hacen una multa. once the driver stops, they’re fined. En virtud de las normas de la TLC, es ilegal que conductores de Under TLC rules, it’s illegal for FHV drivers to pick up any - FHV levanten personas que están parando un taxi, salvo que operen one flagging down a cab, unless they operate a Green Boro Taxi, un taxi verde del distrito, que es un tipo de vehículo de alquiler, y di - which is a type of Livery – and those drivers cannot pick up chos conductores no pueden levantar pasajeros en la calle dentro de la street hails in the city’s “exclusionary zone.” Only Yellow Taxis “zona de exclusión” de la ciudad. Solo los taxis amarillos tienen derecho have the right to pick up street hails anywhere in the city. Black a recoger pasajeros en la calle en cualquier parte de la ciudad. Los con - Car, Livery and High-Volume FHV drivers that pick up “illegal ductores de vehículos Black Car, de alquiler y FHV con gran volumen street hails” risk a $200 fine and possible license suspension. de viajes que recojan “pasajeros en la calle de forma ilegal” se arriesgan a recibir una multa de $200 y una posible suspensión de su licencia. Al - Some drivers have reportedly racked up $25,000 in fines. gunos conductores han informado acumular hasta $25,000 en multas. Drivers who spoke with News 12 with say they have been Los conductores que hablaron con News 12 dicen que hace años le asking the TLC to change the rule for years, adding it’s becom - vienen pidiendo a la TLC que cambie la norma, y agregan que cada vez ing harder and harder for independent drivers to find fares, es más difícil para los conductores independientes conseguir viajes, lo making it nearly impossible to make a living without getting at que hace que sea casi imposible ganarse la vida sin obtener, al menos, least seven riders a day. The drivers say they want the TLC to siete pasajeros por día. Los conductores dicen que desean que la TLC make it legal to pick up street hails, and they’re also looking for haga que sea legal recoger pasajeros en la calle, y también están bus - better pay on their terms. cando una mejor paga con sus propias condiciones. A spokesperson from TLC said in a statement, “It’s ab - Un vocero de la TLC dijo en una declaración que “es absolutamente solutely true that illegal, unlicensed drivers are being sum - cierto que se está citando a conductores ilegales y sin licencia por monsed for illegal pick-ups. I understand that’s frustrating for recoger pasajeros de forma ilegal. Comprendo que es frustrante para los conductores que pueden obtener una licencia de forma legal por var - drivers who can’t legally obtain a license for various reasons of ios motivos, pero estas son leyes muy inteligentes impuestas por la leg - their own, but these are very smart laws put in place by both islación del estado y de la ciudad para proteger la seguridad pública, y State and City legislation to protect public safety, and our law - nuestros legisladores le han otorgado a la TLC la responsabilidad de makers have given the TLC the responsibility of enforcing them ejercerlas, para proteger tanto al público que viaja en los vehículos como to protect the riding public and both drivers and legitimate, li - los conductores y los operadores legítimos con licencia. Los vehículos de censed operators. The vehicles we’re talking about are generally los que hablamos suelen no contar con seguro para su uso como vehículo not insured for for-hire use, meaning that passengers have no de alquiler, lo que significa que los pasajeros no tienen protección en protection in the instance of a crash, they aren’t inspected by caso de que se produzca un choque, los vehículos no reciben inspecciones the TLC for safety, and they are driven by people who have not de seguridad por parte de la TLC y los conductores no se han sometido been background-checked or drug-tested by the TLC.” a una verificación de antecedentes ni a un análisis de detección de dro - Source: News 12 gas por parte de la TLC”. Fuente: News 12

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An Insider’s Look at Both NYC TLC Regulated Industries FOR BREAKING NEWS! TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 17 LIVERY NEWS 70-YEAR-OLD LIVERY DRIVER CONDUCTOR DE VEHÍCULO DE ALQUILER DE 70 RECOUNTS KNIFEPOINT ROBBERY AÑOS NARRÓ UN ROBO A PUNTA DE CUCHILLO Conductor de vehículo de alquiler de 70 años narró un robo a A Livery driver was robbed at knifepoint in an incident that punta de cuchillo was caught on surveillance video. The video shows the suspect Un conductor de un vehículo de alquiler sufrió un robo a punta checking around to see if anyone is looking before he opens the de cuchillo en un incidente que quedó grabado en una cámara de seguridad. El video muestra al conductor mirando para todos lados side door of the unlocked Livery vehicle. para ver si alguien lo miraba antes de abrir la puerta lateral del Driver Gary Herman, 70, who was sleeping inside, said the vehículo de alquiler que estaba sin llave. man had him by the neck as he tried to wrestle a weapon away. El conductor Gary Herman, de 70 años, que dormía adentro He says he grabbed the blade with his bare hands, and that’s del vehículo, dijo que el hombre lo tenía agarrado del cuello mien - when his attacker’s partner swung open the car door, lunged at tras trataba de quitarle el arma. Dijo que agarró la hoja directa - him and snatched money out of his front pocket. The incident mente con las manos y fue en ese momento que el compañero del happened outside the Pelham Bay train station in Oct. atacante abrió la puerta del automóvil, se abalanzó sobre él y le A bus blocks the camera’s view of the two men fleeing. The arrebató dinero del bolsillo delantero. El incidente sucedió fuera video of the incident can be viewed here: de la estación de tren Pelham Bay en octubre. http://bronx.news12.com/story/41198509/this-team-will-strike- Un autobús obstruye la cámara y no deja ver huir a los dos again-70yearold-livery-cab-driver-recounts-knifepoint-robbery hombres. El video del incidente se puede ver aquí: http://bronx.news12.com/story/41198509/this-team-will- Herman said he ended up with 11 stitches to his right hand strike-again-70yearold-livery-cab-driver-recounts-knife - – adding that, in his 50 years driving a Livery vehicle, nothing point-robbery like this has ever happened to him. He added that the two men Herman dijo que terminó con 11 puntos en la mano derecha y had a helper not shown on the video. agregó que en sus 50 años de conducir un vehículo de alquiler, “This team will strike again... Pelham Bay or Middletown nunca le había pasado algo así. También dijo que los dos hombres Road, or Throgs Neck or Co-op City... these guys are going to recibieron ayuda de una persona que no se ve en el video. strike again,” Herman said. “Este equipo volverá a atacar... en Pelham Bay o Middletown Source: News 12 Road, o Throgs Neck o Co-op City... estos muchachos volverán a atacar”, afirmó Herman. Fuente: News 12

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An Insider’s Look at Both NYC TLC Regulated Industries Wants to Expand its Readership! Are there any locations in NYC where you would like us to deliver the paper?

• Car Washes If it's a place in NYC where drivers • Restaurants congregate or visit regularly, we are • Gas Stations happy to deliver bundles FREE of charge. • Repair Shops • Bases Email us at [email protected] with recommendations and we will do our best to have the paper delivered there every month. Please include • Etc… the name of the business, the address (full address, if possible – but as much info as you have otherwise) and a contact phone number (if possible). TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 18 • • DECEMBER 2019 FEATURES SUGGESTIONS FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS: PLACES TO VISIT IN NYC

As anyone who lives in or visits New cocktails, top-notch beer and/or great bar the sidewalk. They also have a great York City knows, it is much more than food? NYC is crawling with spots to sooth food selection. Great for large groups. just a place for entrepreneurs and young your nerves after stressful meetings and • McSorley’s Old Ale House: The oldest professionals to conduct business. Busi - difficult daily tasks. NYC cafes and bars beer hall in New York City, it’s a top ness trips often bring travelers to the city are themed so it’s easier to decide which 10 bar in NYC in the East Village. If for work – and a growing number of exec - one appeals to you. you don’t love beer it may not be the utives are incorporating leisure activities • Death & Co.: This East Village best place for you, but if you end up into their stays. The term for this new speakeasy is known for mixologists here with a group of friends it is a ton trend is “bleisure,” and it is gaining popu - enthusiasts and professionals. Once of fun. You also can’t beat having a larity among entrepreneurs and profes - inside, you will notice how easy it is to light or dark beer for $2.50. This bar sionals, who have found that NYC has a lose track of time. Like a casino, there also displays 150 years of history on lot to offer in terms of tourism, including are no windows, so you have no idea its walls. If you love beer and history, countless exciting and fun places to ex - of what is going on outside. Death and this is the place for you. If you are plore. CO. does not take reservations… it’s going with a large group expect to Business trips generally only last a first come first serve. share a table with others and/or wait short period of time, so it’s important to • The Garret: Located in West Village, for a table. choose places convenient for what is often The Garret sits above a 5 Guys. You • Rudy’s Bar and Grill: This is a less talk - a traveler’s busy schedule. The following will walk up a staircase in the back of ing more drinking type of dive bar in is a list of five great places to visit in NYC 5 Guys that will take you to this Hell’s Kitchen. Rudy’s is a historic on a business trip: speakeasy-like bar. It can get dive bar that Al Capone used to visit crowded, but the service is great. To back in the 20s. It started as a Statue of Liberty guarantee a seat, go during off peak speakeasy due to not have their liquor This amazing landmark is a symbol of hours or enjoy some time in 5 Guys license, but they were able to attain a NYC and the nation. It still stands tall while you wait if it’s busy! license after Prohibition ended in and proud as the center of attention for • The Frying Pan: This is one of the top 1933. During happy hour you will find residents and tourists. Try the Staten Is - 10 bars in NYC that is located along, a large crowd as they have a cheap land Ferry to see the statue up close. They well in, the Hudson River. This bar menu and free hotdogs when you pur - offer a free trip across the statue and the has a seasonal schedule due to it chase a drink. Rudy’s may be fre - ferry leaves every 30 minutes from the being outside, but it opens May 1 and quently crowded, but always for good terminal. stays open until October. It is a very reasons. Be aware they only take popular spot come summertime! They cash. Witness American National History also offer food along with their fully • The Jimmy: The Jimmy is a rooftop bar Even if you’re not a history buff, this stocked bar. To make the best of your located in The James Hotel in museum – which focuses on American visit, be sure to get there earlier Tribeca, which features a beautiful History – is magnificent. Even though the rather than later if you want a table. view of the Freedom Tower and the place is more likely suited to families Hudson River. Another nice addi - on a holiday, learning more about the tion to this rooftop is that there is rich history of America will keep you indoor and outdoor seating. There busy and entertained. is even a small pool in the middle of the outdoor terrace that you can Check Out the Brooklyn Bridge enjoy during the day. Go during Take 20 minutes out of your busi - happy hour and watch the sun set. ness trips to witness the magic of the • The Skylark: The Skylark Brooklyn Bridge. It takes 20 minutes Cocktail Lounge lies 30 stories up to walk from one end to the other. If overlooking Times Square, the you are a photography freak, visit the Hudson River and the best of mid - bridge in the morning. With the sun - town Manhattan. They serve excep - light not hitting too hard and few peo - tional cocktails and light fare, ple interfering, you can create perfect perfect for after work hours. During Instagram shots. the Summer, enjoy indoor and out - To see the sun setting in one of the door views that will take your busiest cities in the world, visit in the breath away. During the Winter evening. It will likely be busy, but the • Ear Inn: The Ear Inn is another of New season you can still enjoy from the beauty and splendor will make it worth York City’s oldest bars, located on multi-level indoor spaces. the trip. Spring St. in Lower Manhattan. It’s a Fancy a Drink? great place to have a low-key fun time Source: Times Square Chronicle , Looking for a spot to enjoy some fancy and enjoy being able to drink out on Loving New York TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 19 FEATURE 10 THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW ABOUT THE MAKING OF “TAXI DRIVER”

Immediately following its 1976 release, Martin Scorsese’s Taxi 1970s, Dustin Hoffman was already a big star and consistently Driver was hailed as a cinematic triumph. The enthusiasm for sought out by directors. Martin Scorsese approached him about this intense drama has not died down in the more than 40 years the lead part in Taxi Driver , but Hoffman wasn’t interested. He since it opened, with new generations continually discovering had never seen any of the director’s prior work and the pitch didn’t Travis Bickle’s complex anti-hero story. convince him to sign on. Hoffman has said he severely regrets not Its influence can still be seen today, especially with the re - taking the role. cently released Joker. To celebrate this gritty masterpiece, the fol - 2. Bernard Hermann’s Reluctance: Taxi Driver’s music was done lowing list offers 10 lesser-known facts about the making of the by Bernard Hermann – a legend by this time, having scored such movie, from details behind its inception to stories during the pro - classics like Vertigo , The Day the Earth Stood Still and the influen - duction. tial Citizen Kane . Given Scorsese’s reverence for cinema, getting 10. Robert De Niro’s Preparation: Robert De Niro has a reputa - Hermann on board was a dream come true. However, the com - tion as a method actor. To get into the Travis Bickle role, the New poser disrespectfully turned down the film until he actually read York native spent two weeks working as a taxi driver in the city. the script, at which point he enthusiastically got on board. It was Despite his recent success as Vito Corleone in The Godfather II, to be his last work, and he passed away almost directly after few people recognized him. Being a cab driver in modern-day New recording the final bits of the score. York is tough enough, but back in 1975 it was downright danger - 1. Arthur Bremer’s Influence: While Taxi Driver is not based on ous. a true story, Paul Schrader took heavy inspiration from a real per - 9. The Last Shootout: The film ends with a notoriously grizzly son. Arthur Bremer served 35 years in prison for attempting to shootout. Some acts of violence happen beforehand, but it’s noth - assassinate politician and staunch segregationist George Wallace. ing compared to what transpires as Bickle massacres the pimps Like Bickle, Arthur was a loner and kept a detailed diary. Unlike in the apartment building. The battle earned the movie an X rat - Bickle, however, Bremer went through with an attempt to take ing. Scorsese went back and desaturated all the colors, making out a politician. His first target was Richard Nixon, but heavy se - the blood look dark brown instead of red. This appeased the rating curity deterred further plans. Wallace lived but was a paraplegic board, who knocked it down to an R, although some argue that for the rest of his life. Bremer was eventually released from prison the dark colors arguably make the scene more grotesque. in 2007. While Wallace held horrid and objectively racist political 8. The Phone Call: One minor but vital detail occurs after beliefs, such as supporting Jim Crow laws and segregation, most Bickle screws up his relationship with Betsy by taking her to an agree that Bremer’s actions were not politically motivated, but in - adult movie theater. He tries to call her again and secure another stead a misguided attempt to gain fame and notoriety. date, and while he is talking the camera slowly pans away from Source: Screen Rant him. According to Scorsese, Betsy’s rejection is so embarrassing, even the camera has to look away. It is a tragically sad moment, but no one can blame her for not wanting anything to do with Bickle after the incident at the theater. 7. It Was Filmed During A Heatwave and Sanitation Strike: New DMV & TLC Summonses York in the ’70s was a dirty enough place. Now imagine if that same grime was exacerbated by a heatwave and garbage strike. Michael Spevack Those are the conditions the movie was filming in during the sum - mer of 1975. Those who live in or have visited the Big Apple know Attorney-at-Law how certain areas can smell once the heat kicks in. When garbage You Can Receive the Finest isn’t getting picked up on a regular basis, it only gets worse… much worse. Representation At Reasonable Fees! 6. Jodie Foster's Controversial Role: One of the most controver - sial aspects of the movie was Jodie Foster’s character, Iris, who is a child prostitute. Some people took issue with Foster only being All TLC & DMV Problems twelve years old during production. Because of her young age, the Customer Complaints • Moving Violations more explicit scenes employed the use of a body double. Fortu - Wills • Buying Or Selling A Business nately, they had just the person for the job: Connie Foster, Jodie’s House Closings • Personal Injury Cases older sister. & Other Legal Work 5. Harvey Keitel’s Research: Legendary thespian Harvey Keitel plays an important role as Iris’s pimp. Exploiting sex workers is already evil but doing it to children is one of the worst atrocities one could ever commit. To prepare for this part, Keitel sought the 212-754-1011 advice of real pimps. By his account, he went to Times Square and asked some prostitutes if he could talk to any of their employers All Bankruptcy Matters Handled but had no luck. Eventually, he found someone who left the pro - fession and was able to rehearse his scenes and get tips. 97-77 Queens Blvd., Suite 1120 4. The Origins of “You Talkin’ To Me?”: One of the movie’s most iconic scenes takes place in Travis’ apartment when he talks to Rego Park, NY 11374 himself in the mirror. The “You talkin’ to me?” line stands among • cinema’s most memorable quotes. The origins of the line are of p 212-754-1011 some debate, however. Writer Paul Scrader does not take credit www.traffic-summons.com for it, meaning De Niro must have improvised the monologue. The most widely circulated theory is that the actor took the line from Bruce Springsteen after seeing him live. Scorsese and Bruce even - I can help you with TLC tually talked about this at a recent event, and the findings were still inconclusive. 3. Dustin Hoffman Turned Down the Lead Role: By the mid- and in Criminal Court. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 20 • • DECEMBER 2019 DIRECTORY

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BY STEVEN J. S HANKER , E SQ .

The New York Independent Livery the gig economy would not be working for I say a new deal has to be worked out, one Driver Benefit Fund (Livery Fund) was revo - them, thus enabling these companies to grow that squares the legal rules governing work lutionary in having the foresight to provide on a massive scale. They are not all flourish - with new products and new services. I believe certain benefits to independent For-Hire Ve - ing because they are taking advantage of the gig economy created a marketplace where hicle (FHV) Livery drivers long before the gig loopholes in the law. In additional to Uber people who provide services do not fit neatly economy became a common phrase. The con - and Lyft, some companies in the gig economy into the traditional definition of employee or cept was, and remains, very simple: The – like Door Dash, Post Mates, Dynamex, Task independent contractor. Right now, one who members of the NYC Livery industry (FHV Rabbit, etc. – utilize workers that fall some - provides services is not sure what benefits to bases and drivers) would give up something where between an employee and an inde - expect from a quasi-employer. The social con - in exchange for something back. FHV drivers pendent contractor. Trying to fit those in the tract between gig economy workers and em - would give up their right to claim they are gig economy into either box (employee or in - ployers is outdated, but it can be fixed by employees and thus entitled to full Workers’ dependent contractor) is like trying to fit a creating a third category of worker. I call it Compensation benefits whenever they are in - round peg into a square hole. the gig worker. The typical gig worker falls jured while working. In exchange, FHV driv - Lawsuits against companies utilizing the somewhere between employee and independ - ers would receive no-fault benefits in a faster “gig economy” are like a threatening cloud in ent contractor. As such, perhaps it is time to manner for non-catastrophic claims and a brewing storm. People who provide services recognize that those gig workers should be would be deemed statutory employees for surely deserve respect, fair treatment and entitled to some but not all employee type Workers’ Compensation purposes in the open communication, but that does not mean benefits. event they suffered a catastrophic injury. that all persons who provide services in the Thanks to these new on-demand start - FHV bases would have to pay into a fund for gig economy are employees entitled to the full ups, though, whether you’re a stay-at-home the payment of such Workers’ Compensation gamut of benefits. Yes, there surely are many mom with a few odd hours to spare or a re - benefits but would not have to face years of companies that misclassify their workers as cently unemployed fast-food worker who massive litigation costs and would not have independent contractors as opposed to em - needs to make ends meet while looking for a to face potential severe monetary penalties ployees in order to avoid the legal and finan - job, you can work whenever you want, doing from the State in the event they were found cial liabilities associated with hiring an whatever you want. Many like the flexibility to be a driver’s employer. employee. But there are also many who follow and feel like it gives them a better work and In essence, it was solid tradeoff. Inde - the law and do utilize independent contrac - life balance. In the gig economy, you’re better pendent drivers gave up certain rights in ex - tors. than an employee; you’re a little business. We change for receiving certain employee-type The problem is that the gig economy is now live in a world where people can be en - benefits not afforded to other independent growing so fast. The more people that enter trepreneurs or micro-entrepreneurs. Just like contractors. For the first time, Livery bases this new economy means the more workers the government didn’t begin to regulate the would pay monies for certain benefits to in - there are in the workforce that have no ties internet before it became a behemoth, regu - dependent drivers. to the traditional social contract of society. lating this new economy before it’s fully cre - Since January 1, 2010 – the date the Liv - That social contract has always remained a ated could halt innovation. ery Fund went into effect – it has worked backstop for workers who are in need. For ex - Perhaps I just don’t have much faith in marvelously to provide benefits to FHV driv - ample, unemployment, workers’ compensa - regulators who believe it is their job to regu - ers in a faster manner, without the need to tion, disability, FMLA and discrimination late for the sake of regulation rather than en - litigate the issue of employer-employee rela - laws (just to name a few) are part of the social sure a properly working system. tionship. The FHV bases now know their fi - safety net that the government has required Implementing more and more rules of opera - nancial responsibilities and do not have to of companies as a mandate to protect work - tion to the point of choking businesses in the face massive legal costs and potential penal - ers. This social safety net costs companies 20- gig economy to death will not help matters. ties. The Livery Fund remains fully opera - 30% more via employee benefits. Just like the New York City Taxi and Limou - tional today, continues to operate as intended We do not want to stifle innovation, but sine Commission did to the for-hire vehicle and has been a resounding success. The Liv - we also cannot leave this growing workforce industry. They regulated many in this field ery industry in New York City resolved this with no safety net. We want to encourage the right out of business. Businesses in the gig thorny issue over 10 years ago without the opening of new markets but cannot permit economy cannot be overly regulated without need to upend the entire industry. the companies in these markets to take ad - affecting everyone – company, worker and The massive growth of the FHV industry vantage of existing labor laws, which only the market. over the past few years has ignited the debate recognize two classes of workers. Accordingly, It’s safe to say there are advantages to of what benefits workers in the gig economy we need a new category of worker so those in being an employee (security, safety laws, should be entitled to, and has also reignited the gig economy are provided with certain minimum wage, benefits) and that there are the issue of whether Livery drivers should be protections, all while the companies in the gig also advantages to being an independent con - considered employees or independent con - economy are not fully burdened with provid - tractor (freedom, independence, opportunity tractors. The elected leaders in New York ing full employee benefits to those who are for more profit). Similarly, there are advan - State have recently put forth legislation to not 100% true employees. tages to hiring employees (quality control, de - address the growth of the gig economy along The lawmakers in New York State may pendable workers) and hiring contract the lines of what California did with Bill AB5, need to alter the very definition of “employee” workers (cheaper, don’t need to guarantee by making all drivers statutory employees. in order to meet the demands of the in a tech- work). Where platforms and new markets get Business leaders and politicians surely enabled, service-driven economy in the 21st into legally dubious territory is when they try need to re-evaluate the modern-day economy, century American Gig economy. Many com - to claim the advantages of both systems at more fully determine who should be consid - panies do not own cars, hotels, or even their the same time. ered an independent contractor, as well as workers’ cleaning supplies. What they own is The laws that determine independent what rights and benefits independent con - a marketplace with two sides. On one side are contractor and employee status vary from tractors should be provided with. The goals people who need a job done – a ride to the air - state to state and from situation to situation, of the elected leaders in the New York State port, a clean house, a lunchtime delivery. On but most of them focus on the question of how legislature should be to put forward the best the other side are people who are willing to much control workers have over their work. piece of legislation that becomes a model for do that job. In the middle is a broker. This is If their employer is mainly focused on the the nation. But it should be done in a manner the one that puts the two parties together outcome of that work, there’s a very good that does not destroy the work that has been and takes a “piece of the action.” Each com - chance they’re fairly being classified as an in - done by the Livery industry and all that has pany exerts varied direction and control over dependent contractor. When their employer been achieved by the Livery Fund. the means by which a person provides their begins to control not only what work they do, Let’s face it: The gig economy is here to service in the gig economy. You simply cannot but how they do it, that classification gets stay. If it was not a good idea, then the entire fit all those in the gig economy into the tradi - murky. market of new companies that have been cre - tional employee or independent contractor Right now, our legal system only has two ated would not be flourishing… and those in business model. buckets for workers who aren’t volunteers or TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 23 interns. You are an employee or you are an that works for everybody. Forcing all compa - workers classification option is pursued. That independent contractor. The risk of being nies to use these old constructs may not quite option involves bringing the same leaders sued has led many in the gig economy to place be the right thing for the worker and for the and stakeholders in each major industry to - workers into the employee bucket. This also growth of the economy. After all, the answer gether with the government leaders to figure drives costs to the consumer up because the to decreasing unemployment is not to get out a way to find a middle ground that works cost structure for these companies increases more people deemed as misclassified. for everybody, just like the Livery industry by about 30% by paying for taxes and benefits Legal protections have been put in place did in creating the Livery Fund over a decade that they may not have to, but they just want for the protection of workers; they have ago. Each side gave up something and each to be cautious. Other companies in the gig evolved over a century and surely were not side received something in return. It was a economy place workers into the independent accidental. Others call for change where fair compromise then and the same system contractor bucket, which entails the risk of parts of the sharing economy could self-regu - can be constructed today on a much grander worker misclassification claims for disgrun - late, with oversight from the government. scale. tled persons and/or tax hungry governmental Others support creating a third category of Utilizing old constructs of what it means entities that have every intention of finding worker that falls between an independent to be an employee or an independent contrac - an employer-employee relationship so they contractor and employee, which would allow tor will not work when analyzing the new gig can increase revenue for the city, state and/or companies to give their independent workers economy. We have to come up with new con - federal government. some benefits without fear of being sued for structs and figure out a way for the compa - The legal risk, the risk of being required treating them as employees. nies of the nation to know its legal rights and to pay back-taxes by the IRS or Department Lawsuits are a big, visible threat to the responsibilities, all while giving independent of Labor is a storm that is quickly brewing. gig economy, but even if none are successful, contractors some benefits that they ordinarily Rather than requiring a company to make there’s another, slower-burning problem that would not be entitled to under the current budgetary, emotional and legal preparations will corrode the gig economy if left unre - system. to fight and defend their classification, why solved. What will happen to those in the gig There is middle ground and finding that not use this money to provide benefits to the economy who are treated like independent middle ground will be a better solution for the new class of worker? contractors when they have no more work. worker, the business and the economy in gen - The pressure in the marketplace right They will also have none of the protections af - eral. To do otherwise is to be trapped by now is to push workers into one bucket or an - forded in the social contract of society that dogma, which is living life with the results of other (employees or independent contractors). has traditionally provided a social safety net. other people’s thinking. I have been working This creates an inherent fear of the govern - In my humble opinion, a third category of on this issue for well over 10 years or so and mental fines if you are wrong and the fear of worker must be created and the benefits they am willing to do whatever I can to bring the cost of defending a class-action lawsuit are entitled to be more fully defined. The about change for the benefit of all interested where a group of former disgruntled persons state government can and should pause be - parties inside and outside of the FHV indus - allege that a company misclassified its work - fore enacting laws like California did. This try. I am even willing to do it on a pro bono ers. But on the other hand, classifying a per - means to stop the audits and put aside the basis. son as an employee will raise the cost to money grab for the moment. Take the time to consumers in many situations when the involve leaders and stakeholders in each worker is not an employee and thus, the in - major industry that straddles the line be - creased cost to the consumer for no good rea - tween hiring employees and utilizing inde - Steven J. Shanker, Esq. is General son. pendent contractors. Figure out a way to Counsel to the Livery Roundtable, Some wonder if there is room for compro - make the line clearer for businesses and help mise in this system. The question is whether them understand their legal liabilities if it is Inc. and the New York Independent there is some sort of a new “middle ground” a winner take all game, all while the gig Livery Driver Benefit Fund. FUN & GAMES

Do you know the stories behind each word? You will also understand the puzzle better if you read our articles and peruse our ads.

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I am pleased and proud to report that the 32nd We concluded the first day of our conference series of regulations to serve all people, safely, eq - annual conference of the International Association with the highly-anticipated transportation insur - uitably and efficiently, taking into account mobility of Transportation Regulators (IATR) in Calgary, Al - ance primer, where experts from the New York City plans and innovative approaches to getting all berta, Canada, was a resounding success! Our con - Black Car Fund, the Canadian-based insurance modes to work together. ference was attended by transportation firm, HUB International Insurance Brokers, in - professionals from around the world and the net - Driver, and a representative on behalf of the Insti - working, events, program and ratings from atten - tutes Griffith Insurance Education Foundation dees was off the charts! In our latest membership introduced the basic industry, economics, legal, pol - survey, conference attendees were overwhelmingly icy and regulatory concepts, and built upon recent satisfied, with 59% saying the overall conference trends in the U.S., Canada and beyond. was excellent, 15% saying it was very good, and 18% saying it was either the best conference they Day 2: Smart & Equitable City Workshop Our Innovative Frameworks Panelists from ever attended at IATR – or during their lifetime. Following our Sunday line-up of boot camp ses - Left to Right: Jim Peters (Responsible Hospitality In - As we enter the remaining weeks of 2019, we sions, our conference attendees gave a warm wel - stitute), Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR President), are encouraging everyone who is interested in the come to our keynote speaker, Councilor Diane Jarvis Murray (LADOT), Michael Foley (City of IATR to take advantage of an end-of-year discount Colley-Urquhart, who has served on Calgary’s City Mississauga), Rosa Escareño (City of Chicago), program for membership, expiring December 31, Council as a Ward Councilor, City-wide Official and Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host) 2019, for 2020 membership, and for early dis - Deputy Mayor for nearly 20 years, serving in her We rounded off the second day of our confer - counted sponsorship packages and registration seventh term in office as an elected official. Coun - ence with our “Regulator Star Trek – The Next Gen rates for our 33rd annual conference in Memphis, cilor Colley-Urquhart champions initiatives to im - of Mobility Management Professionals” panel. Rep - Tenn. from Sept. 21-24, 2020. Membership benefits prove the lives of Calgarians and has made resentatives from the District of Columbia, the include immediate access to all videos, PowerPoint wellness, prevention, community safety and secu - Montgomery County Department of Transporta - presentations, papers and other information from rity hallmarks in her elected role. tion, the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation the Calgary conference, as well as access and par - and SunLine Regulatory Administration presented ticipation in year-round webinars, committee meet - innovative reforms and initiatives that their agen - ings/calls, weekly newsletters and model cies were working on. Topics included taxicabs for regulations projects. low-income veterans and foster child transporta - In order to take advantage of these discounts tion, as well as the Transport DC grant program and to learn more about becoming involved, renew - and accessibility initiatives, Montgomery County’s ing membership or making plans to attend our 2020 new taxicab-paratransit program with the Wash - conference, visit www.iatr.global and/or reach out ington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WA - to our IATR membership director, Monica MATA), Portland’s legislative attempts to preempt Fainshtein, at [email protected]. Left to Right: Richard Hinse (City of Calgary), local TNC jurisdiction, and SunLine Regulatory Ad - Carlton Thomas (IATR Board Chair), Carmen ministration’s new regulatory frameworks and rec - Day 1: IATR’s 3rd Annual Boot Camp Hindson (City of Calgary), Diane Colley-Urquhart iprocity issues based on the passage of California In keeping pace with the City of Calgary’s slo - (Calgary City Councilor and Keynote Speaker), State law 1069. gan, “Be part of the energy,” the IATR kicked off its Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR President), Abdul 32nd annual conference with an action-packed day Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host) of boot camps – and our conference attendees did We then launched into a panel of officials from not disappoint. In fact, our attendees broke the the city of Calgary, who presented the history and record for the number to attend the boot camp ses - current status of transportation mobility gover - sions! To help bridge the information gap between nance, regulations and issues affecting passengers American and Canadian laws and regulations, the and industry stakeholders. Then, representatives IATR curated its program to incorporate experts from Houston, Edmonton and Seattle – Calgary’s and speakers from both the U.S. and Canada. sister cities – joined the panel to provide feedback Our first training session concerned trans - and advice for Calgary’s “Smart City Plan”. portation law enforcement, where regulators from Chicago, Rhode Island, Calgary and Burlington dis - Our Regulator Star Trek Panel from Left to cussed the different methods of regulation in their Right: Michael Tietjen (Government District of Co - jurisdictions. For our driver training session, we lumbia Department of For-Hire Vehicles), Matthew were joined by regulators from Montreal, who dis - Erickson (City of Portland), Carlton Thomas (Mod - cussed ways to implement effective training pro - erator and IATR Board Chair), Matthew Daus, grams and ensure that accessibility issues are Esq. (IATR President), Michal Brock (SunLine addressed. For our training session on meter regu - Our Sister City Panelists from Left to Right: Regulatory Agency), Hannah Henn (Montgomery lation, we were joined by representatives from the Kayla Matteotti (City of Edmonton), Nikki Cooper County DOT), Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference National Conference on Weights and Measures (City of Houston), Mary Mitchell (City of Seattle) Host) (NCWM), the National Institute of Standards and In the afternoon, we hosted our “Innovative Technology (NIST), Flywheel Technologies, and the Regulatory Frameworks – The Future of Mobility” Day 3: Automated Mobility Kick-Off – Records & Licensing Services in King County, panel. Representatives from the City of Chicago, the Who is Doing What to Prepare Wash. City of Mississauga, the Los Angeles Department for Shared Automated & Connect Vehicles of Transportation (LADOT), and the Responsible Leaders from UC Berkeley, the International Hospitality Institute (RHI) discussed the defini - Association of Public Transport (UITP), Airport tional lines between services (e.g., limo versus bus), Ground Transportation Association (AGTA), Ford public-private partnerships with public transit Smart Mobility, the University Transportation Re - agencies for first-and-last-mile, paratransit and mo - search Center (UTRC) and SAE International dis - bility as a service (MAAS) initiatives, and the intro - cussed a wide-range of issues affecting their duction of nightlife district management by cities constituents and the future of mobility in a fast- (including Nighttime Mayors). They also addressed changing business environment. These panelists partnerships which challenge the ability of frag - discussed the socio-economic and regulatory im - IATR President Matthew W. Daus, Esq. introduces the mented regulatory leadership to plot a course for pacts of automated and connected vehicles and Transportation Insurance Primer Panelists from Left to Right: Ira Goldstein (New York City Black Car Fund), the future. In light of these challenges, the panelists identified the outline of issues to be addressed in David Pooser (on behalf of the Institutes Griffith Insurance focused on various international approaches to rec - the IATR’s Model Regulations for Automated Education Foundation), Sasha Ozeran (inDriver), Ramy onciling or working around the increasingly diverse Transportation. Dasuki (HUB International Insurance Brokers) TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 25 IATR Gets Ready to Rock the Regulatory World in Memphis The IATR is excited to announce its 33rd An - nual Conference in Memphis, Tenn. Please join us at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis from September 21-24, 2020. The “Home of Blues, Soul and Rock - ’n’Roll” is the perfect city to host our “Rocking Reg - ulators” conference. Named after the ancient Our Automated Mobility Panel from Left to Left to Right: Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR Egyptian city meaning “Place of Good Abode,” the Right: Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host), President), Kurt Enders (President and Owner of good will exemplified by our conference hosts has William Gouse (SAE International), Ray Mundy Checker Cabs), Jass Tatla (2019 Driver of the Year), already excited the IATR base, with thoughts of (Airport Ground Transportation Association), Jon Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host), Carlton Elvis and Beale Street already percolating. Coleman (Ford Smart Mobility), Camille Kamga Thomas (IATR Board Chair) The theme of the 33rd Annual IATR Conference (University Transportation Research Center), Jaspal The IATR’s 2019 International Driver of the will be “Rockin’ Regulation!” The “Birthplace of Singh (International Association of Public Trans - Year was awarded to Mr. Jass Tatla, a well-re - Rock’n’Roll” is the perfect place to celebrate a “re - port), Adam Cohen (UC Berkeley), Matthew W. spected driver from Checker Transportation Group. birth” of new policy and governance approaches that Daus, Esq. (IATR President) Mr. Tatla has been licensed with livery transport are rocking the regulatory landscape. The changed Following the panel, our attendees joined dif - services since 2009. During the last 10 years, he has world of regulation and the many new IATR mem - ferent breakout groups to develop a plan for inno - displayed a high level of professionalism by always bers with diverse modal responsibilities will be on vative multi-modal integration and preparation for being sincere and polite to his passengers, possess - full display, with a nod not just to legacy industry the future implementation and introduction of ing a great positive attitude, and ensuring that he regulation, but also to futuristic modes and the next shared automated and connected vehicles. The delivers the best possible service to the traveling round of disruption to come. benchmarking and best practices blueprint from public. The program for the this day-long session and workshop will be used to 2020 Memphis Conference will include: formulate the IATR’s Model Regulations for Auto - mated Transportation – which will result in the • NEMT (Non-Emergency Medical Transport) drafting of such regulations before the 2020 IATR Disruption: The taxicab industry and TNCs conference, during which there will be an interna - are both disrupting the health care transport tional public hearing to provide final comments. field, including both public and private para - transit businesses and brokerage models, Day 4: It’s All About the Drivers! and an exploration of the latest technological Our final “It’s All About the Drivers” panel dis - Left to Right: Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR and business developments will be coupled cussed the major changes that the gig economy President), Jarvis Murray (IATR’s 2019 Regulator with NEMT duty of care and certification transportation workforce is undergoing. This panel of the Year), Carlton Thomas (IATR Board Chair), programs. explored how we got to this stage of unrest, what Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host) • Urban Air Mobility: Yes, that’s right, flying the drivers want in terms of work expectations, The IATR awarded its 2019 Regulator of the taxis are coming, and they are real! Some wages and benefits, as well as new revenue streams Year award to Jarvis Murray of the Los Angeles De - suggest that the various pilot programs al - and entrepreneurship opportunities (i.e., advertis - partment of Transportation (LADOT). Since 2016, ready underway show the most promise for ing, food delivery/messenger services). A discussion Mr. Murray has been the Taxicab Administrator for future mobility and may be implemented also ensued about new apps that are entering the the City of Los Angeles. As part of his role, Mr. Mur - more easily and quicker than autonomous marketplace – to either help manage existing TNC ray is tasked with directing policy for the for-hire vehicles. options, or totally new TNCs offering different busi - industry and working with stakeholders to develop • Micro-Mobility – The Management of Sus - ness opportunities for drivers. partnerships, improve technology, and manage a tainable Modes: More and more IATR mem - We concluded our conference with our Technol - regulatory overhaul that is expected to raise the bers are responsible for micro-transit, bike ogy and Innovation, Canadian Regulators, Accessi - level of service while bringing the for-hire industry share programs (docked and dockless), scoot - ble Transport, Safety, and TNC Working Group into the future. His accomplishments include over - ers, pedicabs and other modes. The govern - committee meetings. Exclusive presentations about seeing a Taxicab Study along with his colleagues at mental administration and oversight process new technological advancements in the transporta - LADOT: Ms. Seleta Reynolds, General Manager, for managing, franchising and licensing tion industry were delivered by representatives Brian Bass, Senior Management Analyst, and Irene these new modes can be daunting, and expe - from Athena Insights and RedRoute. Sae Koo, Senior Management Analyst. rienced regulators will share their insight The team began the process of determining the with industry participant input. IATR 2019 Award Recipients best framework for regulating taxis, TNCs, micro - • AVs & CVs: The IATR will hold an Interna - Hack-A-Thon Winners, Regulator transit, and all forms of for-hire transportation serv - tional Public Hearing to receive public com - & Driver of the Year Awards ices under a single regulatory framework that ments and input on proposed Model aligns with the Department’s strategic implemen - Regulations for Automated & Connected Ve - tation plan. hicles, and will explore deployment, testing and implementation paradigm options and Calgarian Festivities new regulatory frameworks. The IATR also organized a site visit to the pic - • Global Regulator Spotlight: The IATR will turesque Town of Banff, where attendees had the present an international overview of every opportunity to explore the shops and take a gondola continent, including regulatory challenges, ride in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The annual technological developments and the state of awards night and party took place in the regulation in all hemispheres as part of Reg - Kananaskis Ranch, where our attendees got a taste ulatory Star Trek 3.0 – The Next Genera - Left to Right: Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR of authentic Calgarian barbecue and a live perform - tion. President), Monica Fainshtein (IATR Membership ance from the spectacular Side One band. Director), Adam Cohen (UC Berkeley), Assel In addition, the results of the 5th Annual IATR Dmitriyeva (Hack-a-Thon Winner), Carlton Thomas Hack-A-Thon, the theme of which was “Micro-Tran - (IATR Board Chair), Reuben Juster (Hack-a-Thon sit” – a jointly sponsored event with the Transporta - Winner), Camille Kamga (University Transportation tion Alliance (formerly TLPA), will fit nicely into the Research Center), Avi Itzhakov (Curb Mobility), micro-mobility frameworks panel. Athan Rebelos (Curb Mobility), Abdul Rafih (IATR Also, our 4th Annual Boot Camp will be back, 2019 Conference Host) with the following topics under development: Trans - The winners of IATR’s 4th Annual Hack-A- portation Data Mining & Analysis; Public & Media Thon were Assel Dmitriyeva, and Reuben Juster, Our attendees spent the afternoon exploring the beau - Relations 101 – Stakeholder Management; and Mo - who traveled from Kazakhstan and New York City, tiful Canadian Rocky Mountains in the Town of Banff. bility-As-A-Service. respectively, on behalf of New York University (NYU). Their “smart city proposal” focused on how Calgary and other cities could decrease the negative Professor Matthew W. Daus, Esq. is President, In - impacts of TNCs without limiting peoples’ mobility ternational Association of Transportation Regula - options. They ultimately proposed a Dynamic Ride tors ( http://iatr.global/ ); Transportation Technology Sharing System, which encouraged riders with the Chair, City University of New York, Transporta - same origin to pair their trips if both can be conve - tion Research Center at The City College of New niently served with one vehicle. The team concluded York ( http://www.utrc2.org/ ); and Partner and that this solution can be easily implemented, will Rocking’ Regulator Matt Daus heats up his gui - Chairman, Windels Marx Transportation Prac - decrease the number of vehicles on the road and will tar over the fire pit during a guest performance with tice Group ( http://windelsmarx.com ). He can be better utilize curb space. the Side One band at the Kananaskis Ranch. reached at: [email protected] or 212.237.1106. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 26 • • DECEMBER 2019 COMMISSIONER’S CORNER

We hope you enjoy a happy and safe holiday season with ¡Esperamos que disfrute de una temporada festiva feliz y segura your family, friends and community, and that you have a won - con su familia, amigos y comunidad, y que el año siguiente sea mar - derful year ahead! Here is the latest news from our wheelhouse. avilloso! Aquí están las últimas noticias sobre nuestra agencia. New TLC Police Officers Nuevos Oficiales de Policía de la TLC Una queja importante que a menudo es - One major complaint we often hear from cuchamos de los licenciatarios es que operadores licensees is that illegal operators are taking ilegales están tomando el trabajo de conductores y business from TLC-licensed drivers and busi - empresas con licencia de la TLC. Con demasiada nesses. Too often, unlicensed drivers take frecuencia, los conductores sin licencia se llevan vi - away trips – and thus valuable income – from ajes y, por lo tanto, ingresos valiosos de los conduc - drivers who have taken the time to meet the tores que se han tomado el tiempo para cumplir TLC’s standards, including driver education, con los estándares de la TLC, incluyendo educación drug testing and having their record vetted for vial, pruebas de drogas y el sometimiento de su safety. Unlicensed drivers also put the public historial a revisión por seguridad. Los conductores at risk, since they have not been properly vet - sin licencia también ponen al público en riesgo, ya que no han sido investigados adecuadamente y es ted, and may not have commercial insurance. posible que no tengan un seguro comercial. We are very pleased to share that we grad - A TLC enforcement car. Nos complace compartir que graduamos una uated a new class of TLC Police Cadets this nueva promoción de Cadetes de la Policía de la fall. These new officers will significantly in - TLC este otoño. Estos nuevos oficiales aumentarán crease the TLC’s field presence, which is critical to stopping hus - significativamente la presencia de campo de la TLC, lo cual es crítico tlers at the airports, taking action against illegal commuter vans para detener a los estafadores en los aeropuertos, tomar medidas and deterring unlicensed operators. contra las camionetas ilegales y frenar a los operadores sin licencia. There is also significant cultural diversity among the new También existe una diversidad cultural importante entre los TLC officers, who will help protect the livelihoods of many im - nuevos oficiales de la TLC, quienes ayudarán a proteger los medios migrant licensees. Thirteen of our officers are first-generation de vida de muchos licenciatarios inmigrantes. Trece de nuestros ofi - immigrants, born in countries including Bangladesh, the Do - ciales son inmigrantes de primera generación, nacidos en países como Bangladesh, República Dominicana, Haití, Jamaica, Guyana, minican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Guyana, Cuba, Trinidad, Cuba, Trinidad, Inglaterra, Ecuador y Las Filipinas. England, Ecuador and the Philippines. Nos complace darles la bienvenida como colegas y sabemos que We are glad to welcome them as our colleagues and know tendrán un impacto positivo en las calles de Nueva York. they will have a positive impact on the streets of New York. Una excelente manera de ganar más A Great Way to Earn More Si usted es un conductor de taxi amarillo o verde con acceso para If you are a yellow or green wheelchair accessible taxi driver, silla de ruedas, no olvide inscribirse en el Programa de del Fondo don’t forget to sign up for the Taxi Improvement Fund (TIF) para la Mejora de Taxis (Taxi Improvement Fund, TIF). A mediados Driver Program. As of mid-No - de noviembre, casi 5,000 conductores vember, almost 5,000 TLC-li - con licencia de la TLC ganaron censed drivers earned about $12 alrededor de $12 millones en el 2019, un aumento en comparación a los million in 2019, up from $8.5 mil - $8.5 millones del año pasado. lion last year. Cualquier conductor de un taxi Any driver of a wheelchair ac - accesible para sillas de ruedas puede cessible taxi can enroll. Once you inscribirse. Una vez que forme parte are a part of the program, you del programa, ganará $1 adicional earn an additional $1 for every por cada viaje realizado, independien - trip taken, regardless of duration. temente de la duración. Todos los vi - All trips qualify, regardless of ajes son elegibles, sin importar si un whether a passenger is using a pasajero está usando o no una silla de wheelchair. ruedas. Once you earn $20 or more in Una vez que acumule $20 o más en un periodo de dos semanas, se le a two-week period, you will be TLC staff member Yesenia Torres enters a wheelchair-accessible taxi. pagará a través de una tarjeta débito paid through a Taxi Improvement del Fondo para la Mejora de Taxis. Si Fund debit card. If you are interested, make sure to enroll as está interesado, asegúrese de inscribirse lo antes posible en soon as possible at http://bit.ly/TaxiImprovementFund .. You will http://bit.ly/TaxiImprovementFund .. Recibirá el dinero para vi - receive the money for trips after you enroll, not past trips. ajes después de inscribirse, no de manera retroactiva por viajes an - teriores. Congestion Rules and Licensing Pause The rules we passed last summer are pivotal to decreasing Reglas de congestión y suspensión de licencia congestion in the busiest parts of Manhattan, as well as remov - Las reglas que aprobamos el verano pasado son fundamentales ing the race to the bottom of adding about 2,000 new for-hire ve - para disminuir la congestión en las partes más concurridas de Man - hicle cars a month, which was depressing the income of hattan, así como para prevenir una carrera cuesta abajo si se professional drivers. Some of the largest app companies have añadieran 2,000 vehículos nuevos de alquiler por mes, lo que re - duciría los ingresos de los conductores profesionales. Algunas de las challenged our rules in court, seeking to flood our streets again compañías de aplicaciones más grandes han impugnado nuestras with new cars. reglas ante las cortes, buscando una vez más saturar nuestras calles Last month, a Manhattan judge threw out a suit from Uber con vehículos nuevos. El mes pasado, un juez de Manhattan rechazó challenging the cap. It followed other legal victories the City has una demanda de Uber refutando este límite. Esta fue la contin - had this year, including against a lawsuit filed by Lyft and Juno, uación de otras victorias legales que la ciudad ha tenido este año, who did not want to meet a minimum pay standard for drivers incluyendo contra una demanda presentada por Lyft y Juno, empre - on trips. We are pleased the courts continue to recognize the sas que no querían cumplir con el estándar de salario mínimo para TLC’s power to address the different problems the apps created los conductores en sus recorridos. Nos complace que los tribunales when they oversaturated the market. We will continue to fight continúen reconociendo el poder de la TLC para abordar los difer - better for drivers and less congestion on our streets. entes problemas que las aplicaciones crearon cuando sobresaturaron el mercado. Seguiremos luchando por los conductores y por una menor congestión en nuestras calles. Continued on next page TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 27 THE FISHBOWL BY LARRY FISHER MURDER, INC.

Travis Kalanick, former CEO and co- murder. Trump’s alliances with murder - from Trump or Rep Matt Gaetz. The will - founder of Uber Technologies, cashed in ous dictators like Putin, Erdogan, Kim ingness by Trump to mock our constitu - over $700M worth of newly unrestricted Jong-Un and Bin Salman are evidence of tionally-protected rights illustrates his Uber stock in November. Meanwhile, in this dark turn. Numerous opponents of fascist tendencies. an interview with Axios, Kalanick’s suc - Putin have mysteriously fallen off bal - Famously, Trump once said that he cessor, Dara Khosrowshawi character - conies or had sudden heart attacks. Er - could shoot someone on Fifth Ave. with - ized the murder of Washington Post dogan is in the process of massacring the out losing any support. If it actually hap - journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi Kurds (US allies in the war against ISIS) pened, his GOP Congressional Arabian government as a mistake similar from Northern Syria. Kim Jong-Un is so supporters would probably explain it as to the accidental death caused by an cold-blooded, he had his half-brother ex - a result of Trump’s frustration with the Uber self-driving car in Arizona. ecuted in a Malaysia airport. His murder - constant media attacks since day one of An hour later, Khosrowshawi ex - ous history is well documented. his Presidency. Because, you know, he’s pressed regret for making this bizarre During the famous phone call between been treated so unfairly. When the comparison, but it doesn’t seem out of Trump and Ukrainian President Zelen - threats are followed through with actual line to question the sincerity of his apol - skyy, Trump stated that Ambassador murders of our citizens on behalf of this ogy. After all, he and his company have Yovanovitch was going to “go through megalomaniac, will the Mitch Mc - destroyed the lives of tens of thousands some things.” His notorious junkyard dog Connell’s and Lindsey Graham’s of the of people by arbitrating regulation, over- attorney, Michael Cohen, was infamous world finally stand up? What will it take? saturating markets, predatory pricing, for his many threats to members of the Murder 1? and enriching himself and his investors media and others. As he said to a reporter It’s hard not to be cynical. As the taxi on the backs of desperate immigrant from the Daily Beast, “So, I’m warning industry has mourned eight of its drivers. In New York, eight drivers have you, tread very f…ing lightly, because brethren, little has resulted in terms of committed suicide… so far. what I’m going to do to you is going to be real change. The taxi task force has That the Saudis are substantial in - f…ing disgusting. You understand me?” yielded no results thus far. Lawsuits vestors in Uber should come as no sur - This administration has been de - have had minimal impact. Mayor DeBla - prise. Didn’t Trump say that the scribed by author and historian Sarah sio seems uninterested in the industry revenues generated by arms sales to Kendzior as a “transnational crime syn - and hasn’t nominated a permanent TLC Saudi Arabia were more important than dicate masquerading as a government.” chairman. Although Uber’s CEO ac - punishing Mohammad Bin Salman, the The alleged collaboration with Russian knowledged misspeaking about Crown Prince, who has been deemed the oligarchs, laundering their money Khashoggi’s murder, it remains true that responsible party in the Khashoggi be - through real estate purchases and crimi - his company is responsible for murdering heading? Didn’t Trump say in an inter - nal banking entities has been a hallmark an industry that for many years repre - view with Bill O’Reilly in February 2017, of this group. Witness intimidation by sented a path out of poverty into a mid - “There are a lot of killers. You think our Trump and his minions is further evi - dle-class life, with echoes of the American country’s so innocent?” dence of his criminality. On several occa - dream of economic upward mobility. So, this is what we’ve become. We, as sions, witnesses like Ambassador The landscape is littered with law - a country, and corporations in search of Yovanovitch and Michael Cohen have suits by lenders, bankruptcies and sui - moneyed investors, now countenance been confronted by threatening Tweets cides. That was no mistake.

Larry Fisher entered the NYC transportation industry in 1982 as a yellow taxi driver, and has also worked as a black car driver. In 1987, he became a lender for Progressive Credit Union, then took the position of lending supervisor in 2003 for Melrose Credit Union – which he held until he retired in 2016. Currently, Mr. Fisher is a consultant for his own firm, LAF Consulting Services Corp. He can be reached at: [email protected].

Continued From last page Sharing the Street Safely Compartir la calle de manera segura A great way to keep fellow New Yorkers Una gran manera de mantener a nuestros con - safer is to watch for cyclists when opening ciudadanos neoyorquinos más seguros es teniendo vehicle doors – and remind passengers to do cuidado con los ciclistas al abrir las puertas de los the same. An easy way to do this is to use vehículos, y recordarles a los pasajeros de hacer lo mismo. Una manera fácil de hacer esto es usando su your far hand, reach across your body, then mano opuesta a la puerta, es decir su mano derecha turn and look before exiting the vehicle. para abrir la puerta del vehículo. Cuando usa su When you use your far hand to open the car mano opuesta para abrir la puerta del vehículo, au - door, you automatically look out and scan tomáticamente mirará hacia afuera y podrá exami - for bikes and traffic. This move can save nar si hay bicicletas y tráfico. Este movimiento lives and prevents injuries. A driver scans for cyclists puede salvar vidas y prevenir lesiones. If you want to learn more Vision Zero as he opens his door. Si desea obtener más información sobre los con - safety tips, you can watch our Safety First sejos de seguridad de Vision Zero, puede ver nuestro video at bit.ly/safetyfirsttlc . video Seguridad Primero en bit.ly/safetyfirsttlc . TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 28 • • DECEMBER 2019 The Leader in Taxi & Livery Insurance for Over 40 Years…

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BY MICHAEL SPEVACK

Hello everybody… This month, I If you have received a consumer com - assuming the request is legal and want to talk about staying calm and plaint, please visit a TLC lawyer or rep - proper. dealing with customers and non-cus - resentative (like myself) to help you deal Please have a good holiday season. It tomer motorists who you interact with with it. Do not ignore it. If you receive a is my sincerest hope that it is profitable while driving. Any person – be it a cus - request for information from the TLC, for you and pleasant. If you receive a tomer or non-customer motorist, or even please provide the information to them complaint or ticket, please come see me a pedestrian or bicyclist – may complain in a timely manner, otherwise you risk in my office in Rego Park, Queens. against you for any reason to TLC, and getting a summons for delay or non-com - I hope this article has been useful. you will end up having to deal with the pliance. Thank you for reading it. Until next ramifications. Please try your best to remember month, be well. I know that it is December, and there that you are the best representative for are plenty of drunk and misbehaving your segment of our industries, and that customers in your cab or vehicle. The you represent NYC to tourists and others roads are crowded and traffic is terrible. who use your vehicle to get around in People are rushing to get to where they NYC during the holiday season. You want to go. It is also true that there are should always aim to be polite and re - many unhappy people on the streets, and sponsive to consumer needs, and to all you must be careful to interact with traffic around you. I realize it’s easier them in a way that protects your well- said than done in a City that seems to be Michael Spevack is a 1992 graduate of being and livelihood. ignoring drivers in favor of bikes and NYU School of Law and has been a lawyer TLC’s system for customer com - buses and walkers – in short anyone but in good standing in New York State since 1993. He has been helping for-hire vehicle plaints is set up to ensure that drivers drivers. Regardless: Please be kind, be drivers in New York City since 1995, when offer excellent customer service through - calm and be alert. he opened his own law firm dedicated to out the year to the riding public. It It is a special time of year and it “helping individuals, not large corpora - should also serve to protect drivers, but should be possible to earn good money, tions.” Mr. Spevack can be reached at this part of the consumer complaint unit even with the tough traffic. Listen to 212.754.1011; he also welcomes visitors to his is less emphasized by TLC in my opin - your passengers. If you receive a request, office at: 97-77 Queens Blvd, Suite 1120, ion. comply as soon as you reasonably can, Rego Park, NY 11374.

CONFIDENTIAL HELPLINE If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, Hindi there is a free, confidential helpline called NYC Well that is always available and accessible in 200 languages. You can call 1-888-NYCWell, or text “WELL” to 65173. However, if you are ever in immediate danger of harming yourself or others, please call 911. Punjabi

Arabic

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Spanish Chinese Si usted o alguien que usted conozca sufre depresión, existe una línea telefónica gratuita y confidencial llamada NYC Well que siempre está disponible y accesi - ble en 200 idiomas. Puede llamar al 1-888-NYCWell, o enviar un mensaje de texto con la palabra “WELL” al 65173. Sin embargo, si existe el riesgo inmediato de lastimarse o dañar a otros, llame al 911.

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French Si vous ou l'une de vos connaissances souffrez de dépression, sachez qu'il existe un service d'aide téléphonique gratuit et anonyme appelé NYC Well disponible à tout moment en 200 langues. Appelez le 1-888-NYCWell, ou envoyez « WELL » au 65173. Toutefois, si vous risquez de vous faire mal ou de faire mal aux autres dans l'immédiat, appelez le 911. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 31

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NEW YEAR’S EVE, SEASONAL TIPS BY BERTRAM AND GENERAL SAFETY INFO MERLING The holiday season brings with it carbon monoxide – which flows from your backing up may not see you. many challenges for New York City driv - car’s tailpipe – can be deadly. Please take • Use extra caution when passing a dou - ers, and New Year’s Eve in particular can the following precautions: ble-parked vehicle. Even if the other be a tough night to work. This month, we • Do not leave your motor running in a driver waves you on, you will be held are offering tips on how to better navigate garage. accountable for your actions. New Year’s Eve, along with additional sea - • Do not leave the motor running and • Use extra caution when picking up a sonal and general safety tips. windows closed when you are waiting dispatched call. Criminals like to call for a radio call. from an isolated area. Don’t become a New Year’s Eve • Do not run the heater or air conditioner victim of a robbery or carjacking. New Year’s Eve is always a hectic when parked with the windows shut. night for drivers in the city, so please PRE - • Do not leave your vents open when fol - Driver Safety PARE ahead of time. We recommend read - lowing closely behind other vehicles. There has been an increase in crime ing a variety of newspapers and online • Do not operate a vehicle with a defec - and violent attacks on drivers in recent news sources to learn about street closings tive muffler or exhaust system. months. Please, always make your and detours that could affect your work • Make sure snow is not blocking your ex - SAFETY the primary goal of every work shift. haust pipes. It can send carbon monox - shift. Your family members, friends and • Please try to be patient with passengers ide fumes back into your vehicle, which peers appreciate the valuable contribu - who may be intoxicated. It is far better can be deadly. tions and sacrifices you make every day for that they chose to hire you for a ride, them and New York City. rather than getting behind the wheel Parking Lot & Shopping Mall Accidents • Please do not argue with passengers and driving drunk. During this time of year, you will likely over a fare. • Make yourself familiar with area police spend extra time in parking lots as passen - • Please don’t leave your vehicles if a pas - precincts. Don’t take the law into your gers will be shopping for holiday gifts. senger attempts to flee without paying. own hands if you are being abused or Please heed the following tips when trav - It could be a trick to get you out of your threatened by a drunk passenger. eling in a parking lot or shopping mall: vehicle to hurt and rob you. • Wear your seatbelts at all times as • Anticipate unsafe maneuvers by mo - • Please do not roll your driver-side win - large crowds tend to jaywalk on New torists exiting or entering a parking dow down to collect a fare. Always try Year’s Eve, causing sudden stops. Rec - space or parking lot. to collect fares while passengers are ommend that passengers do the same. • Beware of vehicles traveling in the still in your vehicle. • Try to use local streets, when possible, wrong direction, looking for a space or • When applicable, negotiate your fare as opposed to highways. It is easier to the exit. Drivers often make unsafe prices prior to beginning your trip so take defensive driving actions on a moves to obtain a parking space. there is no conflict at the conclusion of street than a highway, where speeding • Always yield to a vehicle backing into the trip. drivers – who may be drunk – will be or out of a parking space. Remember: A • If you operate a vehicle with a partition, traveling. driver’s rearview window may be ob - consider the hours you are working to • Do your best to be extra nice to your structed by packages when they are determine if the partition will best passengers on New Year’s Eve, even if backing out and they may not see you. serve you when CLOSED. you become frustrated. You will be • Beware: Kids, parents with strollers pleasantly surprised by the gratuities and seniors often make unsafe moves. you receive in appreciation for working • Always use caution when you or your on such a difficult and dangerous passengers open your door and exit Bertram Merling is the Loss Control Coordina - evening. your car in a parking space. tor for Hereford Insurance Company. He wel - • Always scan the area prior to loading Beware of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning comes your questions and comments, and can be your trunk. Avoid bending over un - reached at 718.361.9191 ext. 7235, or via email Always be cognizant of the fact that safely to load your trunk as a motorist at [email protected]

“LIKE” TAXI & LIVERY TIMES FOR BREAKING NEWS! TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 33 NEWS INTERNET DELIVERIES BRING CHAOS TO NYC STREETS

Deliveries from companies like Ama - including what will be the largest center neighborhood loading zones from 7:00am zon and countless other businesses are of its kind in the country. Amazon added to 7:00pm on weekdays. changing the very fabric of major urban two warehouses this summer. Officials Transportation officials have ex - areas around the world. New York City, are racing to keep track of the numerous panded loading zones in commercial areas where more than 1.5 million packages are warehouses sprouting up, to create more in recent years, creating about 2,300 new delivered daily, shows the impact that zones for trucks to unload and to encour - zones around the city last year. Officials this push for convenience is having on age some deliveries to be made by boat as recently gave trucks and buses priority on gridlock, roadway safety and pollution. the city struggles to cope with a booming a major crosstown artery. The city is also Delivery trucks operated by UPS and online economy. investing $100 million to divert more FedEx double-park on streets and block The average number of daily deliver - freight to the water and rail lines, and to bus and bike lanes. Four delivery compa - ies to households in New York City entice shippers to use marine terminals nies – FedEx, FreshDirect, Peapod and tripled to more than 1.1 million ship - and waterways to bring in goods. How - UPS – accumulated just over 515,000 ments from 2009 to 2017, the latest year ever, more far-reaching measures may be summonses for parking violations in for which data was available, according to needed, such as applying additional 2018, totaling $27 million in fines, accord - the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Cen - charges for same-day deliveries and cre - ing to the city. In 2013, those same com - ter of Excellence for Sustainable Urban ating a system of “congestion pricing for panies received roughly 372,000 Freight Systems. Households now receive online deliveries,” designating “delivery summonses and paid $21.8 million. more shipments than businesses, pushing days” for large apartment or office build - The main entryway for packages into trucks into neighborhoods where they had ings. New York City, leading to the George rarely ventured. Online and delivery companies ac - Washington Bridge from New Jersey, has Amazon is moving toward one-day de - knowledged the increased congestion but become the most congested interchange in livery rather than two days for its Prime say they play a vital role in the local econ - the country. Trucks heading toward the customers, and plans to spend $1.5 billion omy and are seeking to reduce their car - bridge travel at 23mph, down from this quarter, for the holiday season. For bon footprint. Trucks are contributing to 30mph five years ago. The total number some internet-based businesses, same- greenhouse gas emissions at a time when of trucks on tolled crossings into New day delivery will be the inevitable goal, New York City is rushing to significantly York City and within the five boroughs possibly even an hour or two-hour time reduce the release of heat-trapping gases. rose about 9.4% in 2018, to an estimated frame. From 1990 to 2017, carbon dioxide emis - 35.7 million, from 32.6 million in 2013, ac - Regardless of the impact on roadways, sions from automobiles and trucks in the cording to transit data. the public clearly loves internet shopping. New York City area grew by 27%, making While the rise of app-hailing services These services can also be especially valu - the region the largest contributor of driv - like Uber has unquestionably caused able for older and disabled people who ing-related carbon dioxide emissions in more traffic, the proliferation of trucks have difficulty getting to brick-and-mor - the country. has worsened the problem. As a result, tar stores. About 15% of NYC households UPS has reduced the number of cars in the busiest parts of Manhattan receive a package every day, according to trucks on city streets by consolidating now move just above a jogger’s pace, the Sustainable Urban Freight Systems packages based on scheduled delivery about 7mph, roughly 23% slower than at center at Rensselaer. That means a com - times and destinations and has equipped the beginning of the decade. plex with 800 apartments would get drivers with technology to choose the The immense changes in New York roughly 120 packages daily. most direct routes, according to Leo Gon - have been driven by tech giants, other New York has sought to shift more zalez, a UPS official. Similarly, FedEx private businesses and, increasingly, by truck deliveries to nights and weekends, and FreshDirect said they were open to independent couriers, often without the when streets are emptier. About 500 com - collaborating with cities to address the city’s involvement, oversight or even its panies, including pharmacies and grocery parking problem. Drivers often cannot awareness. stores, deliver goods from 7:00pm to find legal parking because of a lack of Neighborhoods like Red Hook, Brook - 6:00am, under a voluntary city program. available curbside space, especially in lyn, are being used as logistics hubs to get Over the summer, New York City intro - Manhattan. There are not enough loading packages to customers faster than ever. duced a pilot program in residential areas zones, and they are often taken up by At least two million square feet of ware - to try to reduce double-parking by turning idling vehicles. house space is being built in New York, curbside parking spots into temporary Source: The New York Times FILM ON NYC DRIVER SUICIDES FEATURES DOUG SCHIFTER

Days of Black and Yellow, a short doc - mentary is Doug Schifter, a black car better. When I started out, driving was a umentary about the pressures that app- driver who wrote the column, “The job you could build a life on. Drivers had based businesses put on For-Hire Vehicle Driver’s Seat” for Black Car News. On some dignity. We earned a reasonable liv - (FHV) drivers, Cabbies and Taxi medal - February 5, 2018, Mr. Schifter became a ing because the number of vehicles was lion owners premiered on the website Hy - casualty of a system that had spiraled out kept below public demand. The city regu - perallergic in November. The short film of control. lated – maybe over-regulated – things, can be viewed here: Selections from Doug’s columns, as and there was enough for everyone.” https://hyperallergic.com/527961/days-of- well as his suicide note, are read by his Directed by Lotfy Nathan, Willie black-and-yellow-premiere/ . brother George, who helps narrate the Miesmer and Ray Levé, this somber re - Since October 2017, eight professional new Field of Vision documentary short. flection on the tragic suicides is con - drivers have died by suicide in New York Doug’s words, distorted through a ghost - trasted by “the casual pitilessness of City (that we know of) – a visceral mani - like recording, conjure a grim picture of chipper news show pundits reporting on festation of the immense pressure the labor under assault by an under-regu - how companies like Uber are thriving.” New York City transportation industry lated competitor: “I’m making half as continues to face. Featured in the docu - much as I used to, and it’s not getting any Source: Hyperallergic TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 34 • • DECEMBER 2019 NEWS WOULD A DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT HURT THE STOCK MARKET?

Some of Wall Street’s supposed fi - when compared with Republicans, ac - Among prognosticators who muffed nancial experts have been expressing cording to research from Vanguard, the call was Donald Trump, who said concerns that equities will take a big published before the 2016 election. in a November 2012 tweet that both hit if Elizabeth Warren were to get Everyone knows stocks soared the stock market and the U.S. dollar elected. Some hedge fund managers under Mr. Trump. Everyone did not would plunge following Mr. Obama’s and financial investors are projecting a know that would happen before he second victory. The S&P 500 rose al - drop of between 20 and 25% if Ms. won. Heading into November 2016, most 50% in that term, bringing Mr. Warren or Bernie Sanders were to win. strategists and economists focused on Obama’s eight-year return to 112%, But predictions like these regarding his unpredictability, his protectionist while Bloomberg’s dollar index gained Wall Street seem to be scare monger - ideas, instead of pro-growth policies 21% in the four years that ended in No - ing, with no real historical basis. like tax cuts. Many predicted a more vember 2016. The confidence sounds particularly volatile Mr. Trump would send stocks In the heat of an election, people let rich considering what investors said into a correction. their emotions take over and exagger - about the man Ms. Warren aims to de - Strategists at RBC Capital Mar - ate the impact a president will have on throne, Donald J. Trump. kets said prior to Election Day that a the economy and markets, according to “Strategists predicting the impact Trump victory would send the S&P 500 Mark Hackett, chief of investment re - of a presidential election are worse down 10% to 12%. Barclays had pre - search at Nationwide Funds Group. than the pollsters,” Matt Maley, equity dicted a drop of as much as 13%. The Another forecasting entity that strategist at Miller Tabak + Co., said. team at JPMorgan advised investors to often miscalculates is the stock market “It’s one of the best contrary indicators sell the rebound that materialized just itself. Shares plunged more than 5% out there.” a few hours after Trump won. the day after Mr. Obama was elected to Sure, the forecasts could come true. It was much the same for Barack his first term and the loss in the S&P Maybe Ms. Warren’s plans to rein in Obama as he ran for reelection against 500 swelled past 3% the second time. Wall Street and corporate America will Mitt Romney in 2012. Two months Neither proved prescient. kill the economy, or maybe the bull ahead of the election, nearly 50% of re - Even as the evidence points to how market will just die of old age. But spondents in a Bloomberg survey said difficult it is to nail the predictions, the there’s scant evidence that a presi - a win for the incumbent would be a prognostications are likely to continue dent’s political leanings do much to negative for U.S. financial markets. streaming in – and anxiety is likely to sway stocks. Variations in equity per - That’s even after the S&P gained 42% spiral heading toward Nov. 3, 2020, as formance when a Democrat is in the from Obama’s first election to his sec - the battle for the presidency heats up. White House are almost negligible ond. Source : Crain’s Wealth COUPLE PRINTS FINAL RUN OF NYC TAXI DRIVER CALENDAR After seven years, husband and wife Shan - non Kirkman, 35, and Philip Kirkman, 37, said they are releasing their final NYC Taxi Drivers calendar – a project that’s become a cult classic in the Big Apple. The 2020 edition is chock-full of shirtless, sometimes hairy hacks showcasing their racy and humorous sides. August Alex Sheng, who hails from China, squeezes a soapy sponge over his head, sugges - tively soaking his bare chest and his rubber- ducky bathing trunks. Poland’s Darek Zielinksi, who was featured in the inaugural version, accessorizes his tattooed torso with a smoking car engine. This year’s leading ladies include Haiti native Dorothy Leconte – who strikes a handful of coquettish poses – and Colombia native Arminda Cuervo, who is draped in receipt tape. Ms. Cuervo came to New York in 1963 with five small children. “It’s the juxtaposition between the negative stereotypes and what pop culture puts out about what cab drivers are,” says Philip Kirk - man. “You see, things are the complete oppo - site. These are bold individuals. It’s unexpected and that’s the magic.” A portion of the sales from the $14.99 cal - endar benefit University Settlement, which services over 40,000 immigrant and working families. Source: New York Post TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 35 Happy Holidays

From Former TLC Commissioner/Chairman Matthew W. Daus, Esq. Partner & Chairman Transportation Practice Group

Windels Marx is a full service multi-state law firm headquartered in New York City, with approximately 145 attorneys providing services in more than 20 practice areas. The firm’s Transportation Practice Group has dozens of staff members assisting its clients throughout the firm, specializing in transportation related matters, including lawyers, paralegals, regulatory analysts, and economists/data analysts. The core transportation team includes former Commissioners, Judges, Prosecutors and other former public servants. Legal industry benchmarking surveys frequently cite and commend Windels Marx, including: The New York Law Journal’s “NYLJ 100: Largest Private Law Offices”; Best Lawyers; Best Law Firms; Forbes Legal Black Book; and SuperLawyers.

Our Transportation Practice Group Services Include:

• Regulatory Counselling & Legislative Monitoring: o Agency contracts; technology pilot proposals, helping clients comply with the complex and ever- vehicle advertising licenses, and in-vehicle changing federal, state, and local laws and regulations vending approvals governing the for-hire ground transportation industry •T ransportation Banking/Finance: advise lenders and (including the taxicab, black car, livery, luxury limou- investors concerning a wide variety of transactional, sine, bus and motor carrier industries): investment, compliance and regulatory matters: o Federal (FMCSA) & State DOT audits & o Loan agreements, due diligence reports, compliance; carrier, vehicle & base licensing; medallion valuations, and regulatory compliance and airport permits reports • Transportation Technology & Innovation: full-ser- • Litigation: represent clients in federal, state, and ad- vice start-up practice for multi-modal mobility ministrative proceedings: providers, strategic counselling for a wide variety of o Commercial litigation, appellate litigation, clients (auto, tech, vehicle rental, and app companies) bankruptcy proceedings, foreclosure actions, relating to autonomous & connected vehicles, Mobil- administrative hearings, and arbitration ity-As-A-Service platforms, shared-mobility, and pub- and mediation lic-private partnerships with public transit agencies: • Employment Law Compliance & Litigation: advis- o Terms of service, corporate formation/ ing and representing clients concerning the applicable organization, tax, licensing, joint ventures, data laws and rules and other employment-related matters: & privacy, vendor agreements, and insurance o Worker classification litigation, driver and base • Procurement, Products & Services: assist clients affiliation agreements, employment agreements with obtaining government approvals for products, and severance agreements, employee and driver services, advertising, as well as government contract manuals, sexual harassment policies, and sexual procurement, bid protests and litigation: harassment training

[email protected] • (212) 237-1106 • www.windelsmarx.com TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 36 • • DECEMBER 2019 NEWS FHV DRIVER JUMPS CURB IN QUEENS, 3 INJURED Three people were injured after a For-Hire EMS rushed the crash victims to Elmhurst FHV. Both Uber and Lyft confirmed the driver Vehicle (FHV) driver rear-ended a parked car, Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, a performs work for them, but both companies jumped the curb and hit an elderly pedestrian police spokesperson said – including the 26- said there was no record of him doing a job for in Woodside on Nov. 4, authorities said. The year-old driver, a person who was in the them that day. Lyft temporarily suspended crash happened by the intersection of Wood - parked car and an 81-year-old female pedes - him pending an investigation. side Avenue and 61st Street just before trian, according to police. 1:30pm. The car involved in the crash is a licensed Source: Patch Queens, NY DRUNK MAN MISTAKES SUV FOR HIS RIDE, GETS ROBBED BY DRIVER A drunk man leaving a Chelsea hotspot sciousness, zonked out midway through the was drugged and if the driver works for a local mistook an SUV for a “cab,” then passed out journey. He awoke at NYU Hospital at 5:30am For-Hire Vehicle company. in the back – and was robbed by the oppor - to find his wallet, iPhone and Rolex watch Submit tips to police by calling Crime tunistic driver, cops said Nov. 1. The ham - missing, according to cops. Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting mered 25-year-old hopped into the black The driver was later captured in surveil - www.nypdcrimestoppers.com , downloading Suburban outside of the restaurant Catch lance camera footage trying to use the man’s the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or tex - NYC on Ninth Avenue near West 14th Street credit card at a Foot Locker and a Zales jew - ting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. at around 3:00am on Sept. 15, police said. The elry store in Brooklyn, police said. Photos of Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1- man handed the driver $20 and ordered him the alleged assailant can be viewed here: 888-57-PISTA (74782). to take him home but the “cabby” first stopped https://nypost.com/2019/11/01/drunk-nyc-man- to pick up a friend, he told police. mistakes-suv-for-cab-get-robbed-by-driver //. Source: New York Post The passenger, who was in and out of con - Cops are investigating whether the victim MTA TO LIMIT CHEAP CAB RIDES TO ACCESS-A-RIDE USERS

The Metropolitan Transportation Author - Foye also called on the city to contribute cess-A-Ride vans, which are more expensive ity (MTA) plans to limit a popular pilot pro - half of the cost of the MTA’s Access-A-Ride and offer poorer service. gram that provides some New Yorkers with program. City government currently pays one- News of the change disappointed advo - inexpensive, wheelchair-accessible Taxi and third of the program’s cost. cates for disabled New Yorkers, who have re - For-Hire Vehicle (FHV) rides. The pilot pro - On the plus side, the number of people peatedly hailed the pilot program’s success. gram currently offers 1,200 people unlimited participating in the program will be doubled The MTA launched the e-hail pilot pro - Access-A-Ride trips for $2.75 via an on-de - to 2,400, according to Foye. MTA accessibility gram in November 2017 for 200 New Yorkers, mand smart phone app. chief Alex Elegudin said growing the number but quickly expanded it due to its popularity. MTA chairman Pat Foye said the program of users in the pilot program will let the The pilot was set to expire at the end of April, will be curbed, so the number of taxi-type rides agency collect more data on riders. He also but the agency extended it. offered to customers will be capped at 16 per said the changes are similar to programs in The change to the e-hail pilot is one of sev - month. Instead of paying $2.75, they’ll ride for other major cities. eral that Foye hinted at in an email sent to free until the cost of their ride hits $15. After “In 2019 we’re probably going to land with MTA board members, which referenced the that, they’ll have to pay the remainder of the more than 50% of Access-A-Ride trips being agency’s dire financial situation. cost for rides. done by taxi,” said Elegudin, rather than Ac - Source: New York Daily News RODRIGUEZ LEADS CALL TO SAVE LIVERY AND BLACK CAR BASES On November 18, Transportation Chair - dwindled to about 9,000, due to the “predatory tion-deserts like Northern Manhattan, The man, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez practices of high-volume for-hire-vehicle serv - Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. joined NYC-based Livery and Black Car driv - ices, combined with the City’s unfair and inef - “There’s one way to describe the Livery in - ers and base owners on the steps of City Hall fective efforts to regulate for-hire vehicles in dustry right now and that’s ‘dying,’” said – along with community leaders and advocates the new millennium, and the industry’s inabil - driver Jose Altamirano. Altamirano and Cira – to call on the NYC Taxi and Limousine Com - ity to replace drivers lost to common causes, Angeles, representatives from the Livery Base mission (TLC) to correct a loophole in the cur - due to the licensing caps.” Owners Association, say the TLC’s cap on rent For-Hire Vehicle (FHV) regulations that The crisis is destroying one of NYC’s most FHVs created the problem. is hurting traditional FHV bases. iconic industries, added Rodrigues – putting “We are asking to relicense our drivers to Rodriguez urged the TLC to amen d FHV th ousan ds o f peopl e out o f work , causing majo r get back to the numbers that we had, so that regulations and its “across-the-board” license suffering to workers, families and local entre - we can continue servicing communities that cap - noting that the Livery industry had over preneurs. A few hundred Livery bases remain were left stranded,” said Angeles. 24,000 vehicles in 2014, but that number has in the city, mainly in underserved, transporta - Sources: New York City Council, WCBS880

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An Insider’s Look at Both NYC TLC Regulated Industries FOR BREAKING NEWS! TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 37 NEWS WHITE PLAINS MAN ACCUSED OF CAB CARJACKING Yonkers police charged an 18-year-old Yonkers Police Department and Westch - ney’s Office. White Plains man with first-degree rob - ester County Department of Public Safety Investigators are working on the case, bery after a Taxicab was carjacked Oct. 17 Real Time Crime Center were able to track including information to effect the arrest in the city. Police tracked the stolen cab to the vehicle to the area of Route 9 in Cort - of the second person and recover addi - Peekskill and then to Cortlandt before ar - landt. Members of the New York State Po - tional evidence, including any weapons. resting Nickohlas Davis in Montrose. lice then canvassed the area and located Anyone with information regarding The carjacking took place at 3:13am. the vehicle on Albany Post Road in Mon - this incident is encouraged to contact the The 39-year-old victim told police she was trose later that evening. Two people were Yonkers Police Detective Division at (914) waiting to pick up a fare on William Street subsequently taken into custody. 377-7724 – all calls will remain confiden - when she was confronted by two people Davis was identified as the person who tial. Anonymous tips can be sent by texting who entered her 2006 Ford 500. One dis - allegedly brandished the handgun. He was the key word YPD plus the tip to 847411. played a handgun and the other displayed charged with one count of first-degree rob - Anonymous tips can also be sent directly a knife, police said. They seized the vic - bery, a Class B Violent Felony. He was ar - through the Yonkers PD Tips app which tim’s cell phone and car keys before order - raigned Oct. 18 and sent to the can be downloaded for free to any Apple or ing her out of the cab and driving off. She Westchester County Jail with bail set at Android device. was not injured. $50,000. The case is being prosecuted by Detectives and investigators with the the Westchester County District Attor - Source: Patch Peekskill-Cortlandt, NY GETT JETTISONS JUNO IN NYC, PARTNERS WITH LYFT App-hailing company Gett announced the corporate transportation sector” and reach. At the time of its acquisition, in November that it is shutting down the what it called “misguided regulations” Juno’s equity program was ended, and New York City app Juno, effective imme - enacted in NYC earlier this year. drivers who had accumulated company diately, adding that the company will be Juno, which famously planned to let shares were notified by email that they partnering with Lyft for its business-fac - drivers earn shares in the company for would be automatically cashed out. Most ing U.S. operations going forward. their work, was acquired in 2017 for $200 drivers reported receiving about $100. The company said the steps came “as million by Israeli rival Gett, which has a result of both Gett’s increased focus on been steadily expanding its European Source: Forbes LA GUARDIA UNVEILS NEW $3.9 BILLION DELTA TERMINAL

LaGuardia Airport (LGA) – known for tion, and not the first one either. That des - eastern side of LaGuardia and boasts dra - its threadbare atmosphere, delays, never- ignation belongs to United’s new con - matic views of Citi Field, home of the ending construction and all-round ineffi - course B, which opened in December Mets. ciency – is undergoing a $8 billion 2018. Beyond the obvious and long-overdue overhaul. “Essentially, what we’re doing is tear - features, the new concourse includes a The Delta concourse, more than two ing down the existing Terminal C and D less flashy, but no less game-changing up - years in the making, is the first phase of in different parts at different times and grade: A dual taxi line. This feature will the airline’s new $3.9 billion terminal. building one new modern terminal,” says reduce taxi wait times, which previously Delta is spending around $3.3 billion for Marzullo. could stretch close to an hour. the redesign while the Port Authority is The first concourse – all 105,000 Larger gates – another, less obvious paying about $600 million of the cost. square feet of it – was unveiled in late Oct. feature – will be able to accommodate big - What began in August 2017 is slated Along with the governor and top Delta top ger planes. No more taxiing around wait - to be finished by 2026, according to Ryan executives, in attendance were New York ing for an available gate to accommodate Marzullo, the airline’s managing director Mets’ starting pitcher Noah Syndegaard, your aircraft once your flight has landed. of corporate real estate in New York. In Mets’ owner Fred Wilpon and Mets’ gen - Delta operates more flights out of its all, says Marzullo, the project includes eral manager Brodie Van Wagenen. The LaGuardia hub than it does from John F. four concourses connected to a headhouse, Mets’ appearance at the event under - Kennedy International Airport, roughly the central part of the terminal where scored the importance of the airport – and 275 peak-day departures. The shiny new passengers check in and go through secu - in fact, the new Delta terminal – to one of terminal may make LGA a more desirable rity. the city’s major sports teams. The seven- option for travelers. Delta is just one phase of the renova - gate concourse sits on the water on the Source: Channel 3000 “LIKE” Yellow Taxi Drivers Wanted! • FT/PT – Days/Nights/Doubles - Flexible Schedule TAXI & LIVERY TIMES • Great Location at Subway in Chelsea, Manhattan • Prius V Hybrids, Great on Gas FOR Get First 6 Shifts 1/2 Price! BREAKING NEWS! Call Today! 917.374.8538 or email [email protected] TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 38 • • DECEMBER 2019 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES DECEMBER 2019 • • 39

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