ALG Editor’s Note: As noted by the following featured editorial, Big Government knows no bounds in its limitless efforts to engage in its social engineering, forced regulations, and outright stupidity:
Taxi Turmoil
October 27, 2008 —
Can New York City afford Mayor Bloomberg’s demand for a full fleet of hybrid taxis?
The answer looks to be “no.”
The Bloomberg administration announced last winter that, starting Oct. 1, all new city cabs on the streets would have to meet a 25-30 mpg minimum.
Generally speaking, the only cars that can hit that target are hybrid vehicles, smaller and more compact than the Crown Victoria sedans that have made up the bulk of the taxi fleet for decades.
As private vehicles, hybrids are fine, safe options. But for the level of wear and tear that a New York City cab must endure? Not so much.
That’s the central charge in a suit seeking to overturn the mileage mandate brought by the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade – an umbrella group of 27 yellow medallion fleets and 3,500 individual medallion-cab owners.
And it’s not just cab owners complaining. Two former Taxi and Limousine Commission chairs support the suit.
The immediate former TLC chair, Diane McKechnie, says, “Passenger safety will be endangered by these small hybrids because passengers are more likely to hit the [security-glass] partition in small cars.”
Her predecessor, Christopher Lynn, cites “concerns regarding safety, availability, cost and comfort,” issues he feels current TLC brass didn’t completely think through in order to comply with Bloomberg’s mileage mandate.
At the same time, The Post recently reported that the mandate also is creating a taxi shortage.
Astronomic gasoline prices earlier this year created a demand for hybrids that the industry is hard-pressed to meet.
And though owners can keep buying Crown Victorias during the suit, Ford has already stopped making the vehicles because of Bloomberg’s edict.
Thus, the city will be only a few months away from a real taxi crunch.
For safety reasons, Judge Paul Crotty should grant the fleet owners’ stay of the mileage requirements, pending study.
Mayor Mike should allow for more time to phase in the new cars.
New York City needs a full complement of safe, efficient taxis – just as it needs its other transportation options.
