Stepping into the role of Commissioner/Chair of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) at this precise moment seems like it would be pretty anxiety inducing, even for someone with a resume as substantial as Midori Valdivia’s. Her career experience includes six years at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, a stint as Chief of Staff to the Chairman/CEO of the Metropolitan Transit Authority and time as Deputy Commissioner of Finance & Administration under former TLC chair, Meera Joshi.
But, simultaneously battling “hustlers” at area airports, dealing with legislators arguing over insurance reforms as drivers continue to get pummeled by sky-high rates, facing down rogue app company Empower with a lawsuit, and dealing with the continuing controversy of autonomous vehicles in NYC seems like a pretty heavy plate to have handed to you on Day 1.
To help wrap her head around these issues – and to begin to prioritize how to move forward – one of her first moves as TLC Chair was to solicit input from our industry’s drivers with a questionnaire that asks: “What factors impact your workday the greatest? What TLC actions would most benefit drivers? And, what is the scale of agreement or disagreement regarding a range of statements related to TLC services and practices?”
I encourage every driver to take a few minutes to complete the survey, which is available in 12 languages at nyc.gov/TLCdriversurvey. It’s probably best to be polite, but definitely don’t be shy when it comes to airing any grievances and letting Ms. Valdivia and the rest of the TLC’s commissioners know what affects your daily work life most. If the TLC doesn’t get sufficient feedback, with honest and specific information, future efforts to engage drivers directly could lose momentum.
Airport Hustler Crackdown
I would think that any illegal activity that diverts revenue away from drivers who play by the rules and spend the considerable amount of money it takes to operate legally in New York City would be a major concern – so it was encouraging to read in Gothamist that the Port Authority’s “Operation Legal Ride” is spending $100 million over 10 years to improve the enforcement efforts and new technologies – like artificial intelligence and license plate readers – to help police crack down on scammers at area airports.
Although Port Authority data shows that 2,602 summonses were handed out for illegal taxi solicitation in 2025, nearly double the year prior, airport staff and legal taxi drivers estimate that there are still at least 500 hustlers working area airports. Jan “Rocco” Uzzo, an “ex-hustler” who admitted to bilking tourists for decades, told Gothamist there has been a growing trend of scammers roaming airport terminals with walkie talkies, acting as illegal dispatchers, and connecting hustlers with their marks for a cut of the fare. Uzzo, who says he retired last year, added that the number of hustlers at area airports spiked dramatically after COVID-19 hit.
Beware of the Illegal App, Empower
Although many drivers may think Empower’s platform – which feeds drivers jobs for a subscription fee, and allows them to set their own fares and keep 100% of the money – may seem advantageous, but it comes at great personal risk. Not only is it illegal to accept jobs from the app in New York City, many drivers don’t realize how much is truly at stake.
There are many taxes, fees, and rules that attach to a for-hire trip in New York City,” media outlet AutoMarketplace recently explained. “These obligations are not minor. They fund state and city budgets. These rules can also influence whether a driver can continue to be insured. New York’s for-hire transportation system is not loosely regulated. It is deliberately structured. Base dispatch requirements, insurance mandates, sales tax collection, MTA congestion surcharges, and Black Car Fund (BCF) remittances are not optional features. They are embedded components of the market’s design, meant to protect driver wages and benefits [and help pay for infrastructure]. These amounts must be collected and remitted by a legally responsible party. Because individual trip by trip remittance would be complex and inefficient, the entity that dispatches or facilitates the trip typically collects the required taxes and surcharges and sends them to the appropriate authorities. Either Empower collects and remits the required amounts, or the TLC driver must.
If a driver accepts a job from Empower, and gets in an accident, they will not be able to collect workers’ compensation and, even if the potential exposure is not immediately visible, “it could arise later through [an] audit or enforcement action.”
Despite a lawsuit that New York City launched against Empower, they continue to brazenly operate in NYC. In March, the company’s CEO, Joshua Sear, told New York’s City Council: “Last week alone, over 10,000 drivers using our software and services provided over a half a million rides to 150,000 riders. That includes over 100,000 rides in New York City, a number that is growing incredibly fast.”
Insurance Reform Stalls
Drivers hoping to see relief from sky-high insurance premiums are also feeling a little less optimistic lately. Although Gov. Kathy Hochul put auto insurance reform at the center of her “affordability agenda,” she’s facing an uphill battle from well-funded lobbyists representing trial lawyers and legislators claiming her proposals will not lead to lower premiums. The governor’s plan includes cracking down on fraudulent claims and limiting financial damages, if the person who caused the accident was breaking a law at the time, according to Crain’s New York Business.
Gas Prices Will Likely Stay High for a While
The financial stability of NYC drivers is taking an additional hit as gas prices continue to spike. The national average for gas exceeded $4 per gallon in April – nearly $1 more per gallon than the same time last year, thanks to the Iran war. According to the Associated Press, “Since the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran… the cost of crude oil – the main ingredient in gasoline – has spiked and swung rapidly. That’s because the conflict has caused deep supply chain disruptions and cuts from major oil producers across the Middle East.”
Waymo is Still Lurking
At the end of March, New York City allowed its modest pilot of eight Waymo autonomous vehicles (AVs) to expire. Mayor Zohran Mamdani is showing no signs he plans to revive it, according to Bloomberg, but their cars are still roaming (and mapping) city streets, albeit with a driver behind the wheel – even as experts continue to warn that the technology isn’t ready for a city like New York. Sam Schwartz, a transportation researcher at Hunter College, told The City there are things that work elsewhere but don’t work here, adding: “It’s unlike any other place in the U.S. We have so many ways people move about, we have pretty aggressive pedestrians, we have a large senior population, we have bike riders that are going from 5 miles per hour to e-bikes that can go 30 miles per hour.”
Schwartz has also voiced concerns that the vehicles could be used as weapons by terrorists, without the proper oversight and laws in place to protect the public.
“If robotaxis do come here, they will force the city to decide what it values more, efficiency or unpredictability, automation or human labor,” noted an article in Westside Spirit. “The streets are dense, fast, and often chaotic in ways that do not follow clean patterns. Pedestrians cross when they are not supposed to. Cyclists weave between lanes at unpredictable speeds. A car that stops perfectly every time… might not just feel out of place here. It might not function at all. The question is not just whether robotaxis can come to New York. It is whether New York will change enough to let them.”
Best Wishes to Midori Valdivia
Ms. Valdivia’s job is not an enviable one. She seems to be off to a good start, but the many obstacles she faces will not be easy to overcome. On the surface, her industry experience, along with what appears to be strong support from newly-elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, should give her a fighting chance – but she’s taking the helm at a particularly difficult time. Best wishes to her. The livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people depend on her ability to navigate this troubled environment.
