TLC Chairman Yassky Promises Cabs Everywhere in the City

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New TLC chairman David Yassky has a lot on his plate, but one thing he says he's committing to is making sure yellow cabs have an equal presence all around the city—not just Manhattan. The former City Councilman told CityRoom, "Having represented for eight years a district in Brooklyn, I know many residents in the city, particularly outside the core business district of Manhattan and nearby neighborhoods, feel yellow cab service is concentrated there. In fact, it is.” A recent study shined light on taxi trips, showing that Penn Station is the most popular place to catch a cab, Wednesday has the highest taxi traffic, and the biggest pickup spot on the weekends is the Meatpacking District. So for those of you who complained the map only showed Manhattan, you're right!

Mr. Yassky said at his confirmation hearing that he vows to “ensure the industry serves all parts of the city effectively," using GPS data and the iPhone app CabSense to improve TLC planning. He is also committing to resolve the recent overcharging scandal, where hundreds of cabbies wrongly charged passengers out-of-town rates. Many cab drivers then demanded an apology from former TLC boss Matthew Daus after he accused over 35,000 cab drivers of wrongfully charging customers, even though the real number was much lower.

Though Taxi Workers Alliance member William Lindauer insists Yassky "starts off with a tabula rasa," he could easily become as hated as Daus. Steve Cuozzo certainly had some harsh words for Daus in his Op-Ed today. "How could you have been in charge of the TLC for 14 years and be so clueless about what goes on inside a cab?...We'll see whether Yassky has the guts to stand up to drivers—or is just as yellow as Daus."

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By Jaya Saxena in News on April 5, 2010 12:37 PM

Comments [rss]

ckl

hey cool so they'll have another thing to bitch about, what fun.

LB

Spare me your idiocentric bullshit ! Cabbies can going anywhere they chose in this city . If it's a shopping center they will be their ! If it's transportation hub, they will be their as well ! The reason they "Concentrate" in the city is because they know that's where the main attractions are ! They don't like travelling outside of the city, It's foreign territory for them . I can't tell you how many times I've seen cabbies helplessly lost in Brooklyn, and Queens ! They ask for direction how too get back to the city , Loli respond with the correct direction and say "Aren't you a cab driver ? Why is it that you don't know all the outer boros like you do Manhattan ?" There response, " I have to take all the fares now, If I don't someone files a complaint and I lose my hack ." Priceless!!!!

JenChungsBaby

Empty promises, almost like Yassky used to be a politician or something.

Hackflack

Just a bit of needed clarification.....in fact, Commissioner David Yasssky's comment at the confirmation hearing alluded to his pledge to work with all six of the industries regulated by the TLC to ensure that they are serving all parts of the city effectively. These include the livery industry (community car services), the black car industry, luxury limousines, the paratransit industry, commuter vans and, of course, yellow medallion taxicabs. While I understand this clarification invalidates the posting's "hook," I think readers will agree that it was an important distinction!

cxb

And YASSKY is a total crooked fraud.

EX:

he promised to fight Bloombag's criminal back-room deals to overthrow TWO democratic Term Limit votes.

Once offered the chance to kiss Bloombag's ring, Yassky... flip-flopped.

(HOW PECULIAR that Yassky now has a cushy, high-paying job thanks to... BLoomberg! Of course, since we must "all" sacrifice in these tough times, I'm sure Bloombag lowered his salary and perks and asked for labor give-backs, right?)

AS LONG AS GOTHAMIST (and the rest of our dishonest media) GIVE CRIMINAL POLITICIANS A FREE PASS, things can only get worse people.

WORLD WAR THREE is an economic war, dummies.

No bullets.

No Bombs.

They can enslave you all without firing a shot.

cxb

SAD FACT:

here's just one of my no-brainer solutions on the issue of CABS (from my 100 INNOVATIONS FOR NYC):

Since City Hall auctioned off medallions for $400,000 (insane!), forcing cab owners to raise leasing rates to the cabbies --- FORCING CABBIES to drive 12 hour shifts (insane!) and drive like loonies to make their money back --- my plan was to REFUND 50% of the medallion costs (which is chump change to City Hall) and force the cab owners to reduce their leasing rates 50% to the cabbies (and ban 12 hour driving shifts, which is KIND OF AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN).

What was Tax Hike Mike's "reforms"?

* TV screens in the back that annoy everyone, but that now feature THE MAYOR'S NAME AS THE FIRST THING THAT COMES UP.

* Forcing Cabbies to pay $40 to put the new "NYC" ugly-ass logo on the cabs!

* Install (at huge expense to cabbies) the new meters that City Hall now says SCREW up easily!

WHY DIDN'T GOTHAMIST WANT ANY DISCUSSION OF IDEAS, SOLUTIONS OR REFORMS when I was on the ballot in 2005.

Any theories?

Insult me all you want... your city is in ruins b/c not one media source will allow any discussion of solutions to ANY of NYC's problems.

MEDIA is the root of all evil.

bloombergSCANDALS.blogspot.com

inoyourider

Surprise!

The cabs go where the business is- good luck trying to change that.

Gotham Extremist

Good luck sending a yellow cab to East New york or Breezy Point.

LB

Nope ! They have the gypsy cabs there clogging up the Q59 ,and Q60 bus stops . No need for the yellow lunatics their !

Ishtar

Yellow cabs just don't make much sense in most parts of the outter boroughs. North Brooklyn and western Queens make sense, but beyond that it's questionable.

whitecastlerock

Really? Please state where you get your data from. Have you ever been to the Queens Center Mall? Have you ventured to College Point? There is a great need for yellow cabs out there to transport people who want to do some shopping in those areas. Not everyone needs a cab to fucking barhop around hipsterville...