The Taxi & Limousine Commission today enacted a set of new rules regulating Mayor Bloomberg’s ambitious outer-borough taxi plan, giving liveries the right to pick up street hails in certain parts of the city.
The rules – codifying legislation that Gov. Cuomo signed earlier this year – allows the specially permitted livery fleet to pick up passengers north of 96th Street on the east side and 110th Street on the west side.
The liveries will have meters similiar to yellow cabs and the same fare structure, according to the rules, which the TLC board passed overwhelmingly.
Those vehicles will undergo inspections three times a year, just like yellow cabs.
But unlike yellow cabs, they will not be allowed to pick up fares in the airports or in the central Manhattan business district.
The licenses to operate those cabs will cost $1500 a vehicle, which will be good for three years.
That’s a different system than yellow cabs, which operate with medallions that the owners buy and can sell.
The rules passed today will go into effect within 30 days, but the licenses won’t be sold until around June.
Some of the rules effect more than just the fleet of liveries.
For example, they call for tougher punishment for those caught taking in illegal street hails, including livery cabs that do not have the permit.
Those caught accepting illegal street hails will have their car seized under the new rules.
The TLC did not announce what color the new cabs will be.
Officials have said previously they won’t be yellow.
Many medallion owners attended the meeting today to protest the law allowing liveries to collect street hails, saying it would decrease the value of their investment.
“When I bought my medallion, I thought I had the exclusive right to pick up street hails in the five boroughs,” said Erhan Tuncel.
“That right is being taken away from me.”