Hello to all. As I write this month’s column, New York City, and much of the United States, is in the firm grip of a brutal heat wave. As we prepare for more hot days ahead, it’s a good idea to check your vehicle’s tire pressure to avoid over-inflation, and make sure you stay hydrated! A lot happened in June that I need to catch you up on, so I’ll jump right into it.
In June, the New York City Council unanimously passed Council Member De La Rosa’s bill to reduce the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance requirement for for-hire vehicles from $200,000 to $100,000 per person, by prohibiting the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) from mandating PIP coverage exceeding 200% ($100,000) of the state requirement.
Initially, this bill aimed to reduce the requirement to $50,000, which is how much for-hire vehicle drivers outside of New York City must carry. Council Member Carmen De La Rosa spearheaded the initiative, supported by the Uber-backed coalition Citizens for Affordable Rates (CAIR). The bill’s supporters had argued that the reduced PIP limit could lower premiums by approximately $300 annually and help curb fraudulent claims, which reportedly accounted for 75% of all fraud reports received by the New York State Department of Financial Services in 2023.
However, TLC Chair David Do and others have expressed skepticism. Commissioner Do suggested that insurers might not pass the savings on to drivers, so it remains to be seen whether these reduced PIP limits will ultimately equal more cash in drivers’ pockets.
Now for a quick update on congestion pricing. At the end of May, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from halting New York City’s congestion pricing program or retaliating against the state by withholding federal transportation funds. This decision ensured the continuation of the program, at least until June 9, while the legal challenge proceeds.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Governor Kathy Hochul started this action after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tried to withdraw federal approval of the program in February and threatened to cut funding for various infrastructure projects unless the tolling stopped.
June 9th has come and gone, and there have been no publicly reported updates regarding the legal proceedings. The federal government’s next steps, including any further appeals or legal actions, have not been announced. This is something we will continue monitoring closely.
Now let’s move onto some news from The Black Car Fund. When one of our Covered Drivers is injured, part of the workers’ compensation claims process involves us receiving information and documents from the driver’s dispatch base. This is important for making sure that claims are processed in a timely manner. Unfortunately, some of our Member Bases have not been responsive, as required under New York State law.
Therefore, beginning this month on July 15th, we have implemented a new policy that will result in fines for Member Bases that do not respond to our requests in a timely manner. The first time a Member Base does not respond to one of our requests within 7 days, they will receive a $500 fine. Every time after that, there will be another $1,000 fine. We have tried many approaches in the past to address this issue, and we sincerely hope that we do not have to give out fines to any Member Bases, but we must ensure that our operations can consistently meet our Covered Drivers’ needs. Click here to read a copy of the letter that we sent to all of our Member Bases.
Another issue that popped onto The Black Car Fund’s radar last month involves self-driving or autonomous vehicles (AVs). You may have heard that Waymo is making plans to launch in New York City. There are a lot of obstacles Waymo will need to address to make this happen. For example, unlike in other areas, New York State and City only allow self-driving vehicles to be tested with a human driver present behind the wheel. To achieve full driverless vehicles, laws will have to be changed.
I have been communicating with other stakeholders throughout the ground transportation industry. A working group will be put together to discuss the concerns and issues that will arise with the introduction of Waymo to our city’s streets. From the perspective of The Black Car Fund, anything that will affect our Covered Drivers is concerning. I will be sure to provide updates as the discussions continue.
As I wrap up, I want to give you all a quick safety tip. The NYPD and NYC DOT are warning drivers about a new scam targeting people who are just trying to pay for street parking. Scammers have started placing fake ParkNYC QR code stickers on parking meters. Drivers scan the sticker, thinking they’re paying for parking, but instead get redirected to a phishing site designed to steal their credit card information.
To be clear: New York City does not use QR codes on parking meters. The only legitimate way to pay for parking through ParkNYC is by using their official mobile app. If you see a QR code on a meter, it’s fake. Don’t scan it, don’t trust it, and definitely don’t enter your payment info.
On a final note, we are excited to officially announce our next BCF Resource Fair at our Driver Education Center in Long Island City. It will take place on Monday, August 25th from 10:00am to 3:00pm. I invite you to come and join us for another day filled with great resources and helpful information from us, Drivers Benefits, and all of our partners. As always, there will be light refreshments, giveaways, and free raffles for great prizes such as gift cards and dash cams!
Just like our previous resource fairs, it will be held in two sessions (morning and afternoon) to prevent our Education Center from getting overcrowded. Don’t worry, both sessions are exactly the same, will have the same information, and will offer the same chances to win raffles! Also, the first 20 drivers to arrive for their session will receive an exclusive BCF door prize.
So don’t wait, be one of the first to RSVP for this fair! Click here to RSVP now, or visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BCFSummer2025RF. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my outreach team either by emailing to COM@NYBCF.org for any questions you may have about this resource fair.
I look forward to seeing you there. Until next time!
