Allows For Street Hail Pickups
Assemblymen Mike Miller and Philip Goldfeder announced that the Assembly passed legislation that will allow New York City to issue 18,000 hail accessible inter-borough licenses, allowing livery cars to pick up street hails.
Twenty percent of the licenses will be for accessible vehicles to provide more transportation options to people with disabilities.
An agreement on this legislation has been reached with the governor and the Senate.
“For too long, persistent transportation problems within New York City have gone unanswered, leading to a nearly nonexistent taxi presence outside of Manhattan’s Central Business District and a troubling lack of vehicles for people with disabilities,” Miller said. “This new plan will afford New Yorkers in underserved areas greater access to taxicab service in and around the city. This will also lead to more revenue for the city of New York, helping protect vital programs for seniors and hardworking families.”
“It’s no secret that transportation options in southern Queens is a challenge; any increase in transportation options is a win for Queens,” Goldfeder said. “This new plan will afford those in the community, especially those who need it most, with a greater access to taxicab service in and around the city.”
Under the legislation (A.8691-A), New York City will be able to issue the new HAIL licenses over the next three years.
The city will also be authorized to issue up to 450 new base permits, generating up to $1.3 million in new revenue.
In addition, the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) will issue 2,000 new taxicab licenses for vehicles that are accessible to people with disabilities. The TLC will also be required to provide grants of up to $15,000 to retrofit HAIL vehicles to accommodate people with disabilities and establish a program to support the introduction of handicapped-accessible vehicles into the HAIL vehicle fleet.
