BCN: Will Waymo Buy Their Way Into NYC, TLC Insurance Rates Set To Increase
Black Car News’ Neil Weiss, NY Black Car Fund’s Ira Goldstein and TLC Chair David Do share their thoughts and concerns about the disruption posed by Waymo and autonomous vehicles (AVs)
The opinions expressed in Black Car News are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views or editorial position of AutoMarketplace.
Led by longtime editor, publisher & owner Neil Weiss, Black Car News (BCN) is one of the most important voices in the NYC for-hire transportation (TLC) industry.
Its monthly publication continues a four decade tradition of providing thoughtful NYC TLC industry insight from Neil himself and other market thought leaders, including:
Ira Goldstein, Executive Director of the New York Black Car Fund (BCF)
David Do, NYC TLC Chair & Commissioner
Matthew W. Daus, Esq., Former NYC TLC Chair & President of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR)
AND…many others, including industry lawyers, a medical professional, TLC drivers, base owners, driver advocates, insurance companies
You can directly access BCN’s August 2025 issue here.
🗣️ Notable quotes from this month’s issue.
“They call it “disruption,” and that’s a strangely accurate definition, although often not in the way that these companies and their investors pretend to mean. Unfortunately, the last time NYC’s transportation industry was “disrupted,” countless people and businesses were devastated financially, to the point where drivers literally committed suicide – including my good friend and Black Car News columnist, Doug Schifter.”
- Neil Weiss, Black Car News, Editor, Publisher & Owner
“For years, insurers have charged rates that are actually too low for the amount of risk involved, leaving many drivers paying for coverage that may not guarantee payment when needed. This has also driven out virtually all competition. Have you ever wondered why there are so few insurance options for FHV drivers or why none of the big players (Geico, Allstate, Progressive, etc.) have gotten into this sector?
The bad news is that this means rates are going to go up. However, the DFS’s stated game plan is to have small incremental increases until FHV insurers have reached a true market rate. This will be an important issue to continue monitoring.”
- Ira Goldstein, New York Black Car Fund, Executive Director
“Like any sector we regulate, an AV rollout would be tightly controlled to ensure safety and equitable service, with minimal impact on our driver workforce. Furthermore, TLC licensing standards would need to be met, and currently state law prohibits autonomous vehicles without a driver – let alone any for-hire trips. Lastly, there is a city-mandated vehicle cap in place, with the only exception being for wheelchair accessible vehicles (which MUST have a human in them to assist the passenger).”
– David Do, NYC TLC Chair & Commissioner
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Black Car News Summary (August 2025)
Table of Contents
0:19 Will Waymo Try To Buy Their Way Into NYC? (Neil Weiss, Black Car News) 1:29 Ira’s Insights (Ira Goldstein, Executive Director of the NY Black Car Fund (BCF)) 2:35 Commissioner’s Corner, Patience Pays Off (David Do, NYC TLC Chair)