Yellow Cab and other for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers could gain access to thousands of parking spaces under a Department of Transportation (DOT) pilot program designed to address a shortage of rest areas. Taxi drivers currently have access to only 151 taxi-exclusive parking spaces south of 60th Street and 137 spaces shared with app-based drivers. New York’s City Council directed the DOT to establish the pilot program, to allow taxis and FHVs to park in commercial metered spaces for up to three hours, as long as they pay the meter. That would make approximately 13,000 spots available to drivers, according to Spectrum News.
At a September DOT public hearing, drivers and advocates testified that the lack of legal rest areas deprives drivers of access to bathrooms, time to eat or take breaks during long shifts. Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, framed the issue as one of public health and human dignity, adding that many drivers suffer not only from diabetes but also kidney failure” as a result.
Industry drivers told NY1 that they currently receive tickets for parking in commercial spots, and that parking is very hard to find. Also, when free taxi relief spaces aren’t available, drivers may be forced to park illegally and risk tickets – and that receiving those tickets dramatically cuts into their dwindling profits.
More than 178,000 TLC-licensed drivers – including yellow taxis, green cabs, liveries, black cars, and app-based services – currently compete for curb space. Illegal parking or standing in restricted commercial or no-standing zones currently carries fines of $115 to $150, according to AutoMarketplace.
It remains unclear when cabs can begin parking in commercial spots if DOT approves the pilot program.
