TLC Issues For-Hire Vehicle License Determination
Report Finds FHV Capacity Sufficient. Car licenses will not be issued over next 6 months.
Link to press release.
Report Finds FHV Capacity Sufficient
The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) today issued its biannual review of factors to determine whether the issuance of additional For-Hire Vehicle (FHV) licenses are needed to serve the riding public. Those factors culminate in a conclusion that additional FHV car licenses will not be issued over the next six months. The Report is available HERE.
The factors, as laid out in agency rules, include congestion levels, driver pay, license attrition rates, and the availability of outer-borough service. While the pre-pandemic statistics were compelling on their own, data specific to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our For-Hire Industry (see our recent report) further bolstered the determination.
“As the City progresses through its phased reopening, there has been a gradual increase in ridership,” said TLC Commissioner Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk. “Presently, there are enough vehicles across all segments of the for-hire transportation industry to service demand. Therefore, it is necessary to extend the for-hire vehicle licensing pause. TLC will conduct a full review again in February 2021.”
BACKGROUND:
In August of 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Local Law 147 of 2018, pausing the issuance of new FHV licenses for one year. The legislation also gave the TLC the authority to determine the number of FHV licenses to issue after the expiration of the initial year. Local Law 147 exempted Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) during the pause. In August of 2019, TLC adopted a rule which extended the pause on issuing new FHV licenses. The rule continued the exemption for WAVs and added an exemption for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). The new rule requires TLC, beginning one year after the rule’s adoption and every six months thereafter, to review whether additional FHV licenses should be issued, and to report the results of that review and the number of FHV licenses to be issued in the succeeding six months, if any.
About TLC:
Created in 1971, the TLC licenses and regulates taxicabs, for-hire vehicles, commuter vans, and paratransit vehicles. Its board consists of nine members, including eight unsalaried Commissioners. The Commissioner/Chair presides over regular public commission meetings and heads the agency, which has a staff of over 600 employees. To drive professionally in New York City, licensees undergo a rigorous background check, must have a safe driving record, and complete 24 hours of driver education. TLC-licensed vehicles undergo regular safety and emission inspections at the Agency’s Inspection Facility. Current Commissioner/Chair, Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk, was appointed in February 2020.
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