⚡📈 ~9,700 New EV TLC Plate Applications Submitted
⚡📈 ~9,700 New EV TLC Plate Applications Submitted
~9,700 EV TLC Plate Applications were submitted before Monday's TRO went into effect. City Council members are now officially criticizing policy, while TLC Chair Do stands by decision
Caroline Spivack, of Crain’s New York Business, reported that 9,638 EV FHV (TLC Plate) applications were submitted ahead of a NY Supreme Court judge’s temporary restraining order (TRO) going into effect at 9am this Monday, November 13th. Evan Simko-Bednarski of the New York Daily News had similar figures to Ms. Spivack and reported 9,730 EV TLC Plate applications were submitted, with 11% of applications (~1,000 EV TLC Plates) coming from corporate entities.
The volume of applications implies the TLC received over $5 million of non-refundable application fees in less than a month and many drivers likely paid a similar amount to brokers who helped them navigate the rushed application process. In other words, we estimate ~$10 million 💰 came out of TLC-licensed drivers pockets THIS MONTH just in PROCESSING these EV applications. That sounds fairly “predatory” to us 🤔.
As a reminder, the TRO (i.e., pause in accepting new EV TLC Plate applications) is temporary, until the legal action between the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) and the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) is settled.
As most of our readers know, the TLC’s shock reinstatement of the EV exemption to the FHV License Pause (TLC Plate Cap), on October 18th, caught many off guard. There was no discussion or study that indicated the TLC was contemplating a full and immediate reinstatement of the EV exemption to the TLC Plate Cap. Against this backdrop of “surprise” policymaking, a combative TLC Chair David Do continues to blame the NYTWA legal action for the flood of applications, not his incompetent, dictatorial policymaking and execution.
Based on THE CITY reporting and a TLC spokesperson statement, we estimated ~10,000 EV Applications would have likely been reached within a few months without the TRO being granted (even assuming 100 to 150 per day declines to 50 per day, after a few months).
“Prior to the lawsuit, the TLC had been processing about 100 to 150 applications a day — adding up to a total of 1,746 before the restraining order on Wednesday, according to commission spokesperson Jason Kersten. But that number has since ballooned, with the TLC receiving a total of 5,943 applications between Wednesday and Friday at noon, he said.”
- THE CITY, reporting by Haidee Chu
It is almost as though Do is living in parallel universe. Why does Do think a judge granted a TRO? We could even predict that Do’s TLC was going to receive a strong reaction, specifically from NYTWA. Even if you agreed with the idea, the manner in which the EV exemption reinstatement was disclosed and executed…was simply unacceptable.
“When policy this disastrous is made, a cold, blunt New York truth must be spoken. If he’s offended by the criticism, too bad, the medicine is going to be very strong now, it needs to be. His Commission is costing a lot of people, a lot of money. His policy continues to hamper the yellow cab industry’s ability to recover.
We believe you’ll see taxi medallion driver advocacy groups, notably the powerful and influential New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA), make major noise. This is existential now for the yellow cab industry.”
- DO TO TAXIS: DROP DEAD (AutoMarketplace, October 25, 2023)
It was obvious there would be major pushback, only an arrogant and detached bureaucrat would have not been able to see that. To be a keynote speaker at a Revel ceremony after(!) the surprise announcement, shows such poor political judgement, that we can’t explain it away.
City Council Criticizes TLC
In a further blow to the TLC and Do’s credibility, two City Council Members called for the Mayor and TLC to reconsider their decision on the reinstatement of the EV exemption.
If you thought we are being blunt or harsh, simply read the Council Members signed letter (attached below). Both Council Member Amanda Farías and Selvena N. Brooks-Powers sit on the Council’s Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Note: Brooks-Power is the Committee’s Chair).
We once again call for David Do to resign as Chair & Commissioner of the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC), effective immediately.
Do has not only lost credibility, but has damaged the TLC’s reputation. The young D.C.-trained bureaucrat should step aside and let a new leader build back trust between the TLC and industry participants.
As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or by emailing us at info@automarketplace.com.
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