Partitions
During this public health crisis, the TLC is allowing all vehicles without partitions to have temporary partitions installed. We have eased restrictions to allow non-bulletproof partitions to be installed by authorized providers. You can find the list here.
Resources for Drivers
The impact of the coronavirus on New York City has been one of the most difficult periods in the city’s history in recent memory, and the disease has devastated our local economy. We want drivers to connect with every resource available to them, their families and their communities. On the TLC website, we have expanded our resource page for drivers. This page has the information TLC licensees need to apply for pandemic unemployment assistance, food and financial assistance, public benefits, work opportunities, health insurance, mental health resources, and legal services.
Executive Order on Face Coverings
An Executive Order also went into effect in New York State last month requiring face coverings in public places. You can protect yourself and others by wearing a homemade mask, bandanna, or covering your face with a scarf. No passenger should enter any TLC-licensed vehicle without wearing a face covering, which is needed to keep you safe. Face coverings are crucial because they prevent disease from spreading when a person coughs or sneezes.
Hero Drivers
Thank you to TLC licensees for the tremendous contributions they are making to the City during this difficult time. Whether they are delivering food to vulnerable, homebound New Yorkers or staying home if they don’t feel well, TLC-licensed drivers are playing a key role in fighting coronavirus in New York City.
As I write this, licensees have helped a program that has delivered about 9 million meals to New Yorkers whom are elderly or have compromised immune systems. About 11,000 drivers signed up to work to deliver food at sites throughout the five boroughs. The work is virtually contactless – drivers arrive at the food delivery site, the National Guard puts boxes of food in the car’s trunk, and the driver calls the person when they arrive. Drivers can park their vehicle for up to 10 minutes in no parking zones, metered parking zones without purchasing time, or truck loading zones. They should not double park or park in towing zones. Drivers then place the food in front of the person’s door.
Although it cannot replace the work that drivers had before the pandemic, we hope emergency food delivery can be a helpful source of income for our licensees during this time.
Nancy Reynoso is one of many TLC licensees who has been helping homebound New Yorkers get the food they need. She is a green taxi driver who has been delivering food almost every day in the Bronx.
“You’re helping the city in a crisis,” she said. “I love to help our city and our neighbors.”
Another for-hire vehicle driver named Fritz Joseph was interviewed by the Daily News about the work that he is doing to help fellow New Yorkers.
“Seeing those people smiling at me and taking the food while they cannot go outside themselves is very fulfilling to me,” he said.
If you feel sick, always stay home, and call 311 if you need any help connecting with medical treatment. If you are feeling healthy and want to earn some income during this difficult time, consider signing up here. If you experience any issues with the sign-up process, you can always email supportnyc@tlc.nyc.gov for help.
