Hello to all! I hope everyone is enjoying the start of the Fall season and staying safe out there on the road. October is always a good time to check in, get prepared for the colder months ahead, and make sure you are taking advantage of the resources available to you. As always, there is a lot to cover, so let’s get started.
First, I want to touch on a broad package of pedicab reform proposals currently before the New York City Council. These proposals are being advanced in response to long-running concerns about the pedicab industry, including unclear and inflated pricing, forged credentials, unregistered pedicabs, unlicensed drivers, high insurance costs, noise complaints, and price gouging for short rides in busy areas like Midtown, Times Square, and Central Park. These bills would make several changes to how pedicabs are regulated, including requiring city-approved meters instead of timers, adding official fare signs and scannable registration codes, requiring annual driver training, and prohibiting unreasonable noise from devices like speakers or music players.
Perhaps the most important change, however, is that it would move pedicab licensing, oversight, regulation, and enforcement from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC). However, there are also related proposals that would create designated curb space for pedicabs, allow them to use taxi and for-hire vehicle relief stands, and permit limited low-speed electric assist under certain conditions. This brings a slew of additional concerns, and we will continue closely monitoring this issue as it develops.
Moving onto some TLC news, I want to highlight a disappointing outcome from the September 17th TLC meeting. The TLC considered a set of proposed rules that would have provided financial relief to drivers by reducing certain fines and fees. The Black Car Fund supported these changes because they recognized a simple reality: enforcement is important, but penalties should be fair, proportional, and directly connected to the conduct they are meant to correct.
The proposed rules would have eliminated the $25 driver license replacement fee, along with several $50 fines tied to issues such as reporting a lost or stolen license, replacing an unreadable license, or updating a license photo. They also would have eliminated the
$200 fine for drivers who complete their annual drug test more than 30 days late. Importantly, this would not have removed the drug testing requirement. Drivers who miss the deadline would still be suspended until they complete and pass the required test. The proposal would have simply removed the extra $200 fine on top of that suspension.
The rules also would have eliminated certain missed inspection fines while still keeping the suspension in place until the vehicle complies. I believe this is an important distinction because drivers and vehicle owners would still have to meet inspection, licensing, and drug testing requirements, so safety would not be weakened. Instead, the proposal would have removed extra financial penalties in situations where suspension or another compliance requirement was already addressing the issue.
Unfortunately, despite receiving four votes in favor and only one vote against, the rules did not pass. TLC rules require at least five yes votes (which represents a majority
of the nine commissioners) to adopt a rule, and only five commissioners were present at the meeting. That meant the proposal needed every commissioner in the room to vote yes. One commissioner voted no, because for some reason he felt that eliminating unnecessary fines sent a wrong message and that the fines for losing your license or missing a drug test are justified.
As a driver, you know that even a $25, $50, $100, or $200 charge can make a difference, especially when you are already dealing with skyrocketing fuel, insurance, maintenance, tolls, vehicle payments, and the everyday costs of driving for a living. The Black Car Fund supported these changes because they would have struck a balance between preserving the rules that protect passengers and the public, while reducing unnecessary financial hardships on drivers. The proposal is not necessarily dead, but TLC will need to bring it back through the proper process and, most importantly, secure the five votes needed for adoption. I hope the Commission does so, because drivers should not have to wait longer for practical relief that keeps enforcement focused on illegal activity, safety, accountability, and getting drivers back into compliance without pushing them further behind.
Moving on, I’d like to let you all know about the newest, no-cost benefit available through our Drivers Benefits program called License Watch. This is a new feature available in the Drivers Benefits mobile app that helps Eligible, Enrolled drivers stay informed about their TLC license status (if you have a NYC TLC license), license renewal information, and certain vehicle-related violations. Your license is your livelihood, and even a missed notice, forgotten renewal, or unresolved ticket can create serious problems if it is not addressed in time.
With License Watch, drivers can view important TLC license information in the app, receive alerts about license renewals, learn about parking, camera, and moving violations, and access support when they need help understanding or responding to tickets and infractions. To activate real-time monitoring, open the Drivers Benefits app, select License Watch, choose “Activate Monitoring,” and enter your TLC-authorized FHV plate number if applicable, or your NYS DMV Driver’s License information. This is another practical tool designed to help
drivers stay organized, avoid surprises, and keep their driving career on track. There are some restrictions to data that License Watch can monitor (e.g. camera summonses) so please read all the details when you enroll.
In other BCF news, last month we held another Steering Towards Success, The BCF Resource Fair event in Western New York at the North Tonawanda Football Hall of Fame. We had a great turnout as drivers packed the room to speak with us about workers’ compensation, our Earn While You Learn opportunities, and all the benefits available to them through our Drivers Benefits program. We also had the University at Buffalo’s Health on Wheels team on site answering drivers’ health-related questions and performing blood pressure checks.
Thank you to all the drivers who took the time to attend the fairs and a huge thank you to the team from the University at Buffalo’s School of Public Health and Health Professions, the Drivers Benefits team, and the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG), for working with us to provide a valuable and meaningful event for drivers. We received a lot of great feedback and questions, and everyone went home with some BCF swag. A few even walked away with some great raffle prizes.
Down in New York City, our last resource fair of the year is scheduled for Monday, November 2nd at our Driver Education Center. It’s never too early to sign up and you can do so by clicking here. Our August downstate resource fair reached capacity and we expect the one in November will as well, so don’t miss out on your opportunity to attend. RSVP now!
On a final note, we are officially in flu season, so it’s the perfect time to take advantage of your free flu shot voucher available through Drivers Benefits and provided by the IDG. The voucher is available through the Drivers Benefits app so make sure you have downloaded it, and more importantly, that you’re enrolled in the Drivers Benefits program. As always, if you have any questions about these benefits, you can reach out to our Drivers Benefits team directly at (833) 814-8590.
Until next time!
Ira J. Goldstein is the Executive Director of the-New York Black Car Fund and Advisor to the Black Car Assistance Corp. (BCAC).
