Monday, July 27, 2015

Dollar van legislation introduced

WNYC
From the Queens Chronicle:

The City Council is entertaining a pair of bills that are aimed squarely at operators of illegal “dollar vans” that have become a particular scourge in Southeast Queens.

The Commuter Van Reform Act was introduced Thursday by Councilmen Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans) and Rory Lancman (R-Fresh Meadows).

If adopted, one bill in the package would cause fines for illegally operating a van to skyrocket from the current $500 for a first offense to $3,000; and from $1,000 to $4,000 for second offenses and subsequent offenses within two years.

A second bill would require annual reports from the Taxi and Limousine Commission on the state of the legal and illegal van industries in the city.

In a joint statement issued by his office on Thursday afternoon, Miller said there are only 344 vans and 301 drivers licensed to operate in the city out of 46 bases.

Legal vans are not permitted to pick up fares along city bus routes, and must have special license places and decals.

A visit to the Parsons Boulevard-Archer Avenue bus and subway hub, however, will routinely show vans, usually white, going so far at to park in bus stops in an effort to pick up passengers.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's about time they regulates those things. I Remember taking them A Few times But that was like 15 years ago. I remember paying 2 bucks to get to rosedale. The cab smelled like shit and was broken down inside and being the only white person in the cab wasn't too comfortable either.

Anonymous said...

Might have something to do with it,no?

Anonymous said...

There's an app for that.

Anonymous said...

They have completely taken over the Q47 bus stops on Calamus Avenue in Maspeth, while the 47 has been rerouted due to construction work.

Anonymous said...

What good are all these new laws in a sanctuary city that doesn't enforce anything ?
The police himself recently announced he will quit if sick mayor Blaz is re-elected. To add some of his men on the mayors security detail are getting nauseous from all the mayors dope smoking. If you do the math 200,000 units is Roosevelt (welfare island) piled 8 high !
The stoned & medicated mayor is mentally ill and cant possibly be fit for making any decisions !!! Why is he still in active office, is their no law against that ?

Anonymous said...

Drive down Northern Boulevard in Flushing any morning and you'll see scores of them.
Cops don't do a thing.

Anonymous said...

These vans spread bedbugs, lice and respiratory disease like wildfire.
To add many are run down, have warn brakes and front end parts that cause deadly high speed accidents on the highways.
Especially the Belt and Southern State parkway's.

Anonymous said...

"These vans spread bedbugs, lice and respiratory disease like wildfire."

Is that why they wear those loony tune hospital masks?

Anonymous said...

Why buy a million dollar medallion and pay taxs when you can screw whitey and the MTA,most don't even remember why dollar vans started
It was a protest ment to only use black operations and boycott white business

Anonymous said...

Why do they call them a "scourge"? They're cheap and fast. If they were a scourge no one would ride em. But whenever I need to go from Flushing to Chinatown or back again, they're a lifesaver - and a timesaver.

Dunno about the ones in Jamaica, are they that different?

Anonymous said...

I don't think the vans are supposed to be competing with the MTA - they're supposed to be serving routes/areas that the MTA doesn't serve - so the problem is that the vans stop and pick people up at bus stops and very often are following the same routes as MTA buses. (When I go out for lunch in Jamaica and pass the van staging areas, I can hear the van drivers saying "Q5" or "Q-[fill in bus route number," telling people which bus they are replacing. For areas that are neglected by buses, the vans are no doubt very important to those who use them. Otherwise, the vans are just poaching riders from the MTA.

Bryan said...

I hope they finally ban these pirates. Dollar vans are dangerous to the public and the police don't do anything about it because anything goes in the black community. The illegal aliens and green carders who drive these vans don't respect americans and our laws. Trump should expand his rhetoric to include these west indian border jumping van drivers. Ban their criminal parade as well.

Bryan said...

I hope they finally ban these pirates. Dollar vans are dangerous to the public and the police don't do anything about it because anything goes in the black community. The illegal aliens and green carders who drive these vans don't respect americans and our laws. Trump should expand his rhetoric to include these west indian border jumping van drivers. Ban their criminal parade as well.

Unknown said...

Why pay all the fees that they have set forth and still get the same treatment as the ones without. Its a way of making a honest living and be able to provide for your family why else would we be out there everyday no matter what the weather is. Illegal, or not. The economy is a sham there are no jobs so we make our own. Nothing wrong with that. We drive just like you. When the vans are gone you will be forced to pay the fares the have you pay or walk. You are going to miss them when they do go if they go