By Helen Klein
If a dollar van with out-of-state plates pulls over to give you a ride, it’s best to give it a pass. That’s the advice of Deputy Inspector William Aubry, the commanding officer of the 67th Precinct, who discussed the issue at the most recent meeting of Community Board 17. The board meeting was held at the Vandeveer Park United Methodist Church, 3114 Glenwood Road. Responding to a question from board member Albert Payne regarding the vans which ply the streets with plates from Pennsylvania, and even as far away as Texas, Aubry said, “There are a lot of illegitimate van services. No legitimate service,” he stressed, “can operate in New York City with out-of-state license plates.” Dealing with illegal vans is an issue, Aubry noted, that the 67th Precinct has been discussing with the neighboring 63rd and 70th Precincts. He said that legitimate commuter van services want consumers to know that many services are not legitimate, to enable them to be able to tell the difference. “We’ve been trying to educate people going onto the vans,” Aubry stressed, “that if they get into an accident, you are probably not going to be covered, as opposed to the legitimate ones which do have insurance. Just be aware of that. “One of the things we can discuss,” Aubry added, “is that maybe the legitimate ones could be more identifiable, so you would know the difference between a legitimate van and an illegitimate van.” In addition, Aubry said that there was discussion about legislation that would amend the law, “To make it easier for us to get these illegal taxis and vans.” Such legislation, he said, could include provisions that would allow the police to confiscate and hold the vans, “So they’re not back on the street the next day.”
