Community-based commuter vans licensed by NYC’s Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) are experiencing serious challenges – including a significant decline in available vehicles over the past decade, City Council members from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said at a Sept. 15 oversight hearing on transportation licensing. Known as “dollar vans,” they typically provide rides for communities underserved by public transportation. As of 2024, there were 12 authorized commuter van bases, operating 38 vehicles, with 59 licensed drivers.
During the Sept. 15 hearing, Queens Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers described the TLC’s commuter van program as an “overlooked part” of the city’s transportation network. TLC-licensed commuter van rides are arranged in advance and can carry up to 20 passengers in one vehicle.
“Many New Yorkers choose them for their reliability and ability to bridge gaps in existing transit systems,” Brooks-Powers said. “However, the licensed commuter van industry has struggled since the pandemic, with over 500 licensed vans in 2014 down to less than 40 a decade later.”
Brooks-Powers noted that illegal vans compete with licensed ones for passengers, undermining the city’s public transit system by picking up passengers at bus stops. Illegal vans often violate safety rules, using unlicensed drivers, having inadequate insurance coverage, and not having government-required inspections, she added.
The council member introduced two bills (Intros. 1346 and 1347): a periodic study of the commuter van industry and an enforcement checklist for cracking down on illegal vehicles, allowing for maximum penalties.
During the hearing, TLC Commissioner David Do said his agency opposes the Intro. 1347 checklist enforcement bill: “This bill would make enforcement against unlicensed vans more difficult and likely impede our future progress,” he said. “Our trained officers already check for all applicable violations. Requiring them to go through a lengthy physical checklist during a stop will add unnecessary time and steps as more illegal vans pass by.”
Source: amNY
