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Commission overview | |
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Formed | March 2, 1971 |
Jurisdiction | New York City |
Headquarters | 33 Beaver Street, New York City, New York, U.S. |
Employees | 559 (FY 2024) |
Annual budget | $60.3 million (FY 2024) |
Commission executive |
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Key documents |
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Website | www |
The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (NYC TLC) is an agency of the New York City government that licenses and regulates the medallion taxis and for-hire vehicle industries, including app-based companies such as Uber and Lyft. [1] [2] The TLC's regulatory landscape includes medallion (yellow) taxicabs, green or Boro taxicabs, black cars (including both traditional and app-based services), community-based livery cars, commuter vans, paratransit vehicles (ambulettes), and some luxury limousines. [3]
New York State-issued TLC license plates are marked "T&LC". [4]
Mayor John Lindsay signed Local Law 12 which created the TLC in 1971, an agency which "purpose of which is the continuance, further development and improvement of taxi and for-hire service." [5] Before the creation of the agency, the NYPD's Hack Bureau regulated the taxicab industry, starting in 1925. [6] The bureau supervised "hacks", which referred to both taxicabs (hackney cabs) and cab drivers (also "hack drivers"). [7]
The TLC has acted as a technical consultant for major TV shows and films that involved taxicab use, such as Friends, Conspiracy Theory, and the Bone Collector.
The TLC has a Driver Safety Honor Roll, which recognizes the safest Taxi and For-Hire Vehicle drivers in New York City. Drivers on the Honor Roll have had no crashes involving fatalities or injuries, no traffic violations, and no violations of TLC safety-related rules for five years or more. [8]
The TLC Chair and Commissioner, presides over the agency's board of nine commissioners during regularly scheduled public Commission meetings. Eight of the commissioners are unsalaried and appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the City Council. Five of the commissioners—one seat for each borough—are recommended for appointment by a majority vote of the councilmembers within each borough. Commissioners serve a seven-year term. The agency's regulations are compiled in title 35 of the New York City Rules . [9]
The TLC chair, who is salaried, also heads the agency, which has a staff of about 600 employees. The agency's divisions and bureaus include Uniformed Services, Licensing, Legal, Policy, Public Affairs, Safety & Emissions, among others. The Uniformed Services Bureau has more than 200 inspectors.
As the regulator, the TLC establishes the larger public transportation policy that governs taxi and for-hire transportation services in New York City. The agency's responsibilities include protecting public safety and consumer rights, issuing and regulating licenses, setting and enforcing the fare rate in taxis, limiting taxi lease rates, and overseeing the sale of taxi medallions.
The TLC licenses about 170,000 professional drivers in New York City. It is common for TLC-licensed drivers to work for several companies, as well as in different industry segments. The agency also licenses more than 100,000 vehicles, as well as over 1,000 for-hire vehicle bases, according to its 2016 annual report. [10]
New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission Enforcement Division | |
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![]() Patch of the New York City TLC Police | |
![]() Logo of the TLC | |
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Abbreviation | TLC Police |
Motto | New York's Proudest |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | New York, New York, United States |
Legal jurisdiction | New York |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
NYC Special Patrolmans | Approx. 240 |
Website | |
NYC TLC Website |
The Enforcement Division, part of the Uniformed Services Bureau (USB) is staffed by uniformed officers who are NYC Special Patrolmen (NYS Peace Officers).
There are approximately 240 Special Patrolmen. [11]
This includes the Vision Zero squad, which focuses on safety-related enforcement like moving violations, which include failing to yield to pedestrians and Restrictions on cell phone use while driving. [12]
The TLC is testing new vehicle safety technologies in licensed vehicles as part of a safety pilot, which began in 2015, according to the agency's website. [13] Technologies include electronic data recorders, speed governors, and driver-alert systems. The pilot looks at how safety technologies affect driving behaviors, collision rates, the experience of drivers and passengers, and the expenses of drivers.
According to the TLC, the primary mission of the Enforcement Division is:
to maintain public safety by deterring illegal operation of unlicensed vehicles, and ensuring compliance of all TLC Rules and Regulations, Vehicle Traffic Laws, the Administrative Code and NYC Rules and Regulations within its regulated industries. [14]
TLC Special Patrolmen officers wear a typical NYC law enforcement style uniform:
The shoulder patch is now very similar to the other NYC Law Enforcement agencies and reads "TAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION POLICE, CITY OF NEW YORK", with the standard NYC police logo inside the centre of the patch.
For Lieutenants and above, white shirts are worn instead of blue, the shield, capbadge and capband are gold, rather than silver. [15]
TLC Officer's are empolyed as NYC Special Patrolmen in connection with special duties, and such designation confers very limited NYS Peace Officer powers upon the employee, pursuant to New York State Criminal Procedure Law § 2.10(27). The exercise of this authority are very limited to the employee's geographical area of employment and only while such employee is on duty as listed in Chapter 13 subsection (C): Special Patrolmen [16]
TLC Special Patrolman are prohibited by New York State Law (Criminal Procedure Law) to use or carry a firearm, but do carry use a variety of equipment, they do carry:
TLC Uniform Service Bureau use typical marked patrol vehicles and are marked as "TLC POLICE" or "ENFORCEMENT". [17]
TLC Special Patrolman go through a 21 week training which includes:
The TLC Special Patrolmen rank structure is as follows:
The city's goal is to have the Medallion Taxicab fleet reach 50% wheelchair-accessibility by 2020. [18] The number of wheelchair-accessible taxis in New York City has tripled from 238 in 2013 to 850 taxicabs on the road in 2016. Almost 300 new wheelchair-accessible medallion taxicabs went into service in the first six months of 2016, according to TLC data.
Since September 2015, taxicab medallion owners may purchase the Taxi of Tomorrow (a Nissan NV200 Taxi), a TLC-approved wheelchair-accessible vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle. The first Taxi of Tomorrow began providing service in October 2013. Its features include a large cabin, passenger charging stations and reading lights, independent passenger climate control, yellow seatbelt straps, handles to assist stepping in and out, a clear panoramic roof, and sliding doors to prevent injuries from dooring. The NV200 taxicab is the first taxi vehicle to be equipped with Hearing Loop technology. [19]
The TLC licenses and sets standards for the New York City’s diverse taxi and for-hire vehicle industries. This includes licensing drivers and vehicles in those industries. Drivers seeking to obtain a license from the TLC are fingerprinted, must pass a drug test, complete a driver education course approved by the TLC that includes a defensive driving course, and must undergo wheelchair-accessible vehicle training; among other requirements. The TLC also closely reviews an applicant’s driving history. [20]
Vehicle owners seeking to obtain a license to use their vehicle in the for-hire vehicle industries are subject to inspections by the TLC and receive a TLC license plate from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Bases that dispatch vehicles, which include app-based companies, are licensed by the TLC. [20]
TLC inspectors may seize vehicles suspected of operating as an illegal cab, and DNAinfo reported in 2014 that the city Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings' Taxi and Limousine Tribunal dismissed 1442 of the 7187 accusations over 1.5 years. The TLC said in a statement that "while the vast majority of cases—more than 80%—are prosecuted as written, the fact that there are a certain number of cases that are dismissed means that the system works for everyone." [21] Owners can't retrieve their impounded cars unless they plead guilty and pay a fine, or until their hearing before a city administrative judge. [22]
In 2005, the TLC refused to allow alternative-fuel vehicles to be used as cabs, despite the New York City Council's vote to approve them. Cab operator Gene Freidman, who had purchased several hybrid vehicles after the council's ruling, sued the TLC in New York's Supreme Court. The City Council, "angered" by the TLC's defiance of its decision, passed a bill in June 2005 compelling the TLC to approve at least one alternative-fuel vehicle to be used as a taxicab. The TLC relented and approved six hybrid models to be used as cabs. [23]
In April 2015, the TLC posted a notice in the City Record proposing the "Licensing of For-Hire Vehicle Dispatch Applications", requiring mobile app operators to apply for approval of certain changes to any app used to arrange vehicle rides for hire, widely considered to be targeted at Uber, causing a controversy. [24] [25]
In August 2018, the TLC stopped issuing new vehicle licenses for one year, in an attempt to "study the effects of ride-hail services in the city." [26]
A Motherboard report, using information obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, confirmed rumors that at least five TLC-licensed cabs were in reality undercover New York City Police Department vehicles. TLC refused to comment, as did NYPD. Both agencies were subsequently criticized for lack of transparency and accused of using the undercover cabs in stop-and-frisk and racial profiling operations by a National Lawyers Guild Police Accountability Project member. [27]
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or a limousine.
A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or car for hire. A hackney of a more expensive or high class was called a remise. A symbol of London and Britain, the black taxi is a common sight on the streets of London. The hackney carriages carry a roof sign TAXI that can be illuminated to indicate their availability for passengers.
In New York City, taxicabs come in two varieties: yellow and green; they are widely recognizable symbols of the city. Taxis painted yellow are able to pick up passengers anywhere in the five boroughs. Those painted apple green, which began to appear in August 2013, are allowed to pick up passengers in Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Both types have the same fare structure. Taxicabs are operated by private companies and licensed by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). It also oversees over 40,000 other for-hire vehicles, including "black cars", commuter vans, and ambulettes.
Taxicabs within a country often share common properties, but there is a wide variation from country to country in the vehicles used, the circumstances under which they may be hired and the regulatory regime to which these are subject.
The taxicabs of the United States make up a mature system; most U.S. cities have a licensing scheme which restricts the number of taxicabs allowed. As of 2012 the total number of taxi cab drivers in the United States is 233,900; the average annual salary of a taxi cab driver is $22,820 and the expected percent job increase over the next 10 years is 16%.
Taxicabs are regulated throughout the United Kingdom, but the regulation of taxicabs in London is especially rigorous with regard to mechanical integrity and driver knowledge. An official report observed that: "Little however is known about the regulation by anyone outside the trade. The Public Carriage Office (PCO), which regulates and licenses taxis and private hire was transferred from the Metropolitan Police to become part of Transport for London in 2000." In 2015, there were around 298,000 licensed drivers in England, of which 164,000 were private hire licences, 62,000 were taxi licences and 72,000 were dual licences.
Taxis in Australia are highly regulated by each Australian state and territory, with each state and territory having its own history and structure. In December 2014, there were 21,344 taxis in Australia. Taxis in Australia are required to be licensed and are typically required to operate and charge on a fitted taximeter. Taxi fare rates are set by State or Territory governments. A vehicle without a meter is generally not considered to be a taxi, and may be described, for example, as a hire car, limousine, carpool, etc. Most taxis today are fueled by liquid petroleum gas. A2B Australia owns and operates the Cabcharge payment system, which covers 98% of taxis in Australia, and operates one of Australia's largest taxi networks.
Illegal taxicabs, sometimes known as pirate taxis, gypsy cabs, or jitney cabs, are taxicabs and other for-hire vehicles that are not duly licensed or permitted by the jurisdiction in which they operate. Most major cities worldwide require taxicabs to be licensed, safety-inspected, insured as for-hire vehicles, and to use taximeters, and there may also be requirements that the taxi driver be registered or accredited. However, many unlicensed cabs are in operation. Illegal cabs may be marked taxi vehicles, and others are personal vehicles used by an individual to offer unauthorized taxi-like services. Illegal cabs are prevalent in cities with medallion systems, which restrict the number of legal cabs in operation. Since their introduction in 2009, vehicles affiliated with ridesharing companies have been classified as illegal taxicabs in some jurisdictions.
A sedan service is a transportation service that offers taxi-like rides in vehicles. Sedan services exist in many places, though the exact definition, along with regulations, may vary in different places. In some places, the term refers to a more luxurious service than taxicabs, while in other areas, it is a cheaper alternative. In most places, the ride must be prearranged, and a sedan driver is not legally permitted to pick up a hailing passenger like a taxicab. Also, most sedan services do not use meters like taxicabs, but rather charge by the mile, following the odometer.
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice. This differs from public transport where the pick-up and drop-off locations are decided by the service provider, not by the customers, although demand responsive transport and share taxis provide a hybrid bus/taxi mode.
Taxicabs and other vehicles-for-hire in Canada are regulated by local municipalities and provinces, and are owned & operated by private companies and individuals. Unlicensed cabs in some cities are referred to as bandit taxis/cabs.
Hybrid taxi or hybrid electric taxi is a taxicab service provided with a hybrid electric car (HEV), which combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system.
Andrew Mead Murstein is an American businessman. He is the founder, president, board member and, with his family, the largest shareholder of Medallion Financial Corp., an investment company publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the symbol MFIN. MFIN and its predecessor companies have invested over $10 billion in various companies throughout the U.S.
Checker Taxi was a dominant taxicab company and national franchisor that was based in Chicago, Illinois. Checker Motors was an American vehicle manufacturer based in Kalamazoo, Michigan that built the iconic Checker Taxicab, sold commercially as the Checker Marathon until 1982. Both companies were owned by Morris Markin by the 1930s.
The Vehicle Production Group LLC was an American automobile manufacturer. Based in Miami, Florida, it made the wheelchair-accessible taxicabs, the "MV-1", which was built in Mishawaka, Indiana at an AM General plant.
Boro taxis are taxicabs in New York City that are allowed to pick up passengers in outer boroughs and in Manhattan above East 96th and West 110th Streets. The color of boro taxis is apple green in contrast to the traditional yellow taxis in New York City.
Simon Garber is president and CEO of several taxi cab companies including Yellow Cab SLS Jet Management Corp in New York City and Chicago Carriage Cab Company in Chicago. Garber's companies are estimated to have the highest number of medallions in both Long Island City and Chicago, earning Garber the nickname of "Taxi King". Garber's cab companies have been involved in several scandals including the illegal use of salvaged police cars in the Chicago fleet and overcharging cab drivers in New York for leasing a medallion. In 2009, Garber founded the International Polo Club of Colts Neck near his residence in Colts Neck, New Jersey.
The New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) is an administrative office of the New York City government. It is a non-mayoral executive agency and is not part of the state Unified Court System.
A taxi medallion, also known as a CPNC, is a transferable permit in the United States allowing a taxicab to operate. Several major cities in the US use these in their taxi licensing systems, including New York City, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
Notes
New York State license plates embossed with the legend "T&LC."
"Hack bureau" shall designate the bureau of the police department of the city of New York for the supervising and licensing of public vehicles and hack drivers
Further reading