City Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo, chair of the Committee on Women’s Issues and co-chair of the Women’s Caucus, is pushing for increased anti-sexual assault training for for-hire vehicle drivers. The measure comes as a response to the alleged sexual misconduct by a Queens Uber driver, who drove an unconscious female passenger to his Queens residence in August where he later sexually assaulted her.
Intro 0762, introduced in 2015, would require all taxicabs, liveries, black cars and luxury limousines to have a panic button installed that would allow a passenger to send a distress signal to law enforcement.
Intro 1106, introduced in 2016, would require that all operators of Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) licensed vehicles complete a sexual assault awareness and prevention training program, to be provided by the TLC. The training program would inform operators of the causes and types of sexual assault, laws against sexual assault, civil and criminal penalties associated with sexual assault, and how to recognize, respond, prevent, and take positive action against sexual assault. Both bills were referred to the Council Committee on Transportation.
Cumbo said she will be encouraging her colleagues to advance both pieces of legislation to a committee hearing and vote this Fall.
Source: Kings County Politics
