Happy holidays, TLC family! While every year brings new challenges, I’m particularly proud of many milestones we achieved in 2023 – a year we tried to make sure drivers got a “fare” shake.
Following some legal tangling with Uber, we scored a nice win in March, when our High-Volume For-Hire Vehicle (HVFHV) licensees got a historic pay bump of 2.26%. Our goal was to safeguard against rising costs for fuel and maintenance and make sure these costs don’t hit you in the wallet. Throw in the TLC’s annual inflation adjustment, and HVFHV drivers saw about a 9% pay increase. I know how much this added income means for all of you, and on the heels of 2022’s taxi fare increase – the first in a decade. Driver costs will continue to stay top-of-mind for me.
We also took our show on the road, implementing a new mobile outreach program that helps drivers skip a trip to Long Island City. With Van Hailin’, we came, we saw, we processed! Our one-stop-shop mobile office helped more than 1,000 licensees with on-site drug tests, settlements, licensing help, and more. We look forward to seeing you at more events in YOUR neighborhoods in 2024!
In April, we set our sights on our safest drivers and bases – celebrating them at the first in-person Vision Zero Safety Honor Roll since the pandemic. The 500 drivers represented each borough and 78 nations of origin. Our Honor Roll drivers completed over 7.4 million trips in a roughly four-year period, avoiding serious crashes and not committing any traffic violations. I am so proud of them.
In May, we cut the “green tape” with the rollout of our Street Hail Livery Pilot Program. Designed as an option for SHL drivers who returned permits, this pilot eliminated costs associated with green taxis and was crafted with industry feedback. The 2,500 permits were a pick-me-up for livery bases, since drivers needed to affiliate with them. But importantly, it was a boon for outer borough service – and especially those who need non-emergency medical transportation, which is a key part of the initiative.
October was a treat, as we officially passed our Green Rides Initiative. This first-in-nation set of rules is transitioning the TLC’s high-volume rideshare (Uber & Lyft) trips to be either zero-emission or wheelchair accessible by 2030. In the process, it will save on fuel and maintenance costs, be a spark for EV infrastructure and produce cleaner air for the public – not to mention providing a path to ownership for thousands of drivers. We have made history with Green Rides.
And let’s not forget the ongoing Medallion Relief Program (MRP), which has lifted thousands of medallion owners who lost their income during the pandemic and helped them get out from under debt. The program has been a resounding success, providing over $452 million in total debt relief to medallion owners.
Lastly, I can’t underscore how much getting my TLC license and getting out on the road has meant. It’s helped me appreciate our licensees’ successes and struggles, and this experience will continue to inform my decisions as a regulator.
See you out there (in 2024!),
David Do
Commissioner, NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission
