Sunday, February 24, 2013

Lots of taxis being towed

From the Daily News:

City taxi inspectors seized a record-high 5,776 illegal livery cars last year, more than triple the number confiscated the prior year, authorities said Thursday.

The record could be smashed again this year because inspectors already hauled 849 vehicles off the road in January — up from 276 the prior January.

Nearly all of the busts are gypsy drivers, who poach riders from licensed livery services and yellow cabs.

TLC-authorized livery drivers must take a defensive driving course, get drug tested and clear a criminal background check. The TLC also sets minimum insurance levels for any accidents involving passenger injuries and inspects livery cars for defects.

Gypsy drivers bypass all those requirements.

Inspectors confiscated 1,737 cars in 2011. The increase in 2012 is partly due to the TLC’s hiring of 100 additional inspectors last year.

A new class of recruits hit the streets last month and another group just began training.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, they oughta tow some of thse TLC crapmeisters,who are basically legalized carjackers doing the bidding f Doombags to make anyone who isn't rich miserable.Can't be rid of this turd and his toadies fast enough.City bureaucracy has been turned into a vast holdup team for the thief in chief.Anyone foolhardy or corrupt of morals enough to take such a job deserves to be spat or shat upon!

Jon Torodash said...

This may be part of a wider crackdown recently uncovered:

http://advocate.nyc.gov/files/deBlasio-Borough-Bias-Report.pdf

People are just trying to make an honest buck without standing behind a counter. From the article:

"Cabbie Abdul Rahman Ali, 47, of Queens, said, 'It definitely makes me frustrated and angry because that’s my ride and someone illegal is picking them up.'"

So it's "his" ride. This is the kind of mentality created by the artificial ceiling on livery/yellow licenses. What a mess...

Anonymous said...

What about all of those shady little jitney buses operating around town...especially in Flushing?

Anonymous said...

As long as we're going third world, let's do jeepneys and tricucles like in Manila. They alo have a much different/better pedicab system.Check all of the above out on YouTube for your edification.

Anonymous said...

What's the business model behind these cars? They drive empty back and forth on Roosevelt Ave all day and all night long.

Anonymous said...

I always assumed thats what they were using the lot for at Atlas.

Anonymous said...

Good job, TLC. We don't hear much good news out of the city agencies these days. Maybe this will make would-be gypsy drivers think twice.