However, that might soon change as a new law proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg aims to create an outer borough cab service for passengers in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens. The livery cab type service would do away with the need for unlicensed – and in some cases, unsafe – ‘gypsy cabs,’ which are usually the only outer borough option.
David Yassky, who heads the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), is charged with implementing the plan that Bloomberg unveiled back in January.
The bill requires a vote from the City Council and, if passed, would equip For-Hire Base Station vehicles with meters, allowing them to pick up random fares. Borough taxis will be assigned a uniform color separate from yellow taxis along with GPS locators, meters and the option for customers to pay by credit card as well as cash. The fare structure will be determined
“While the system works pretty well in Manhattan, there is enormous room for improvement in the rest of the city,” said Yassky. “That's what this plan should accomplish.”
At a Community Board 10 (CB10) meeting on March 3, TLC representatives gave attendees a general overview of the proposal – many residents did not like what they heard and voiced their disapproval, stating that there are safety concerns as well as concerns that they already have with TLC transportation in the area.
“Before we get involved with another layer of cabs, we need to deal with the ones we have now,” said Betty Braton, CB10 chairman, who stated that current issues include problematic routes and off-street parking locations.
TLC is looking for passenger feedback on what customers would want to see from the borough taxis. A short survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NYCTaxiSurvey.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority declined to comment on this story.