As we are approaching the NYC mayoral election, the Livery Roundtable (LRT) was approached by Andrew Cuomo’s campaign to discuss his views on the NYC For-hire sector. Furthermore, the campaign provided us with a direct quote from Cuomo himself. The LRT has not (yet) been approached by either Zohran Mamdani’s or Curtis Sliwa’s campaigns. Thus, given that the election is almost here, the time to support one of the candidates is now.
Out of respect to Andrew Cuomo, I will start with his quote to the LRT: “For-Hire Vehicle drivers literally move this city, keeping New York running every single day. I have met many drivers on the campaign trail, and I know they work long hours to build a better life for their families and for future generations. We owe them more than gratitude; we owe them safety and respect. Too many drivers have faced acts of violence and dangerous conditions on the job, and that’s unacceptable. As Mayor, protecting for-hire drivers from violent crimes will be a priority in my first 100 days.”
Since its inception in 2008, the LRT has never encountered a mayoral candidate that truly advocated for the for-hire sector, surely not as clearly and directly as Andrew Cuomo’s quote indicates. Most, if not all past and present candidates – including Mamdani – have focused on the yellow taxi sector (at least publicly), which is made up of approximately 13,500 yellow taxis, completely neglecting over 135,000 for-hire vehicles (10x the size). Unfortunately, once elected, they also seem to govern with the same preferential treatment toward yellow taxis. THIS MUST STOP!
I’m not saying the yellow taxi industry doesn’t deserve recognition and support, we just want to see ALL the segments licensed by the TLC getting EQUAL support.
While Mr. Cuomo’s quote is great, I went a step further, wanting to make sure his political agenda fits with his quote – so the LRT pressed Cuomo’s campaign to elaborate on his specific plans for our sector. Their answer: Mr. Cuomo plans to increase the size of the NYPD by 5,000 new police officers, bringing the ranks back up to 39,000… which was the size of the force 25 years ago. By doing so, Cuomo will make NYC safer, which in turn will mean more people going out and more tourists visiting the city… thus, more for-hire trips. Even more specific to the for-hire sector, Cuomo plans to increase penalties for assaulting FHV drivers, like the protections given to MTA and EMS workers. This alone speaks volumes about his appreciation and the care he has for the for-hire sector.
I believe Andrew Cuomo, as the mayor of NYC, will help ensure the safety and financial health of for-hire drivers are a high priority and they get the respect they deserve. With that in mind, the LRT asked his campaign what they would like the for-hire sector to do, assuming we stand with Cuomo. The answer was simple: “The for-hire sector should vote for themselves and encourage passengers to vote for Cuomo. Voting participation is critical.”
Therefore, between now and November 4th, the LRT and I are calling on the NYC for-hire sector to spread the word: Cuomo is the only candidate qualified to make our city a safer, more affordable, and fiscally responsible city, with a properly recognized for-hire sector. NYC cannot afford the trials and errors, false promises, and mistakes that beginners bring with them! On November 4th, make sure you vote AND encourage your customers and passengers to vote for Cuomo.
Your Vote Matters
If you choose to vote in person, visit https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/ to find polling sites near you. If you prefer to vote by mail, you can request a mail-in ballot at https://elections.ny.gov/request-ballot. Just make sure it is postmarked by Nov. 4.
