Mayor Bloomberg announced that the city was prepared for the possible two-day taxi strike that some taxi driver groups have threatened for tomorrow morning, starting at 5AM. About 7,000 of the city's 44,000 taxi drivers (there are about 13,000 cabs in total) have reportedly promised to strike over new technology that the Taxi and Limousine Commission wants to install in all cabs. Some drivers' issues with the technology, which includes GPS tracking systems and......

City Council member Gale Brewer criticized the Taxi and Limousine Commission's disorganized lost and found process and urged the TLC to make some changes. Brewer said, "A New Yorker misfortunate enough to lose her property in a taxi is more likely to find overwhelmed hotlines and contradictory instructions than she is to recover her missing possession. The TLC procedure is rarely followed and is hopeless without a receipt. The TLC’s system does not work, if......

Come October, your experience in the backseat of a taxi could be a little more high-tech. The Taxi & Limousine Commission unanimously approved touch-screen "passenger information monitors" for all 13,000 yellow cabs on the streets. In addition to showing information, entertainment, and advertising, these monitors will show a map of the taxi's current location using GPS. The new systems would also accept credit card payments. Some cab drivers expressed their opposition to the systems,......

As the City Council debated a bill that would open 10 taxi stands in the outer boroughs, the Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Matthew Daus said cabbies wouldn't be interested. Daus says that only 8% of cab rides outside of Manhattan are for non-airport destinations. In fact, his words were actually: "When there's an ocean of water to drink in Manhattan, why would they go for a puddle in the outer reaches of the city?"......

Usually when Gothamist is riding in a cab in New York, we're just happy if we can communicate, get to our destination in one piece, and that the driver doesn't get lost. All reasonable expectations, we think. The Taxi and Limousine Commission announced their cab driver of the year yesterday, who, by most standards seems to have done his job very well. Hossam Abdalla, an Egyptian cab driver, has been driving a taxi since 1999,......

Members of one of the city's largest taxi driver's union are saying they'll strike if the Taxi and Limousine Commission doesn't raise fares and if the TLC installs GPS into the cabs. The union says the fare hike is necessary because of rising gas prices (they'd like a surcharge if gas prices are above $2). Newsday notes that neither Mayor Bloomberg or Fernando Ferrer have weighed in on the matter, and perhaps that's because TLC......

The Taxi and Limousine Commission is looking to redesign taxi cab partitions for the future. The NY Times notes that the partition was originally created to prevent crimes, like robberies and murder, but now things like legroom and giving riders a view of the city are making the TLC wonder if they need to shake things up. The article also waxes nostalgic about cabbie conversations, but lately, Gothamist would imagine most riders think they are......

The Taxi and Limousine Commission has given the okay to introduce hybrid cars as new taxi cabs, starting as soon as this fall. The six new car models, two Hondas, two Toyotas, a Lexus (!), and a Ford, will be more expensive than the old stand-by of the Crown Victoria, but they will be more fuel efficient. Commissioner Matthew Daus says the Crown Vic gets 18 miles a gallon, while the hybrids get at least......

Within the Taxi and Limousine Commissions's ambitious plans to bring technology to cabs might be a future where you can use Metrocards to pay your taxi fare. Sorta way: The NY Post reports that Cubic, a California-based company whose smart card technology NYC uses for Metrocards (San Francisco, Chicago, and DC use their technology too), has been looking into the possibility of new payment options, along with other possible vendors. The idea of a stored......

Does the TLC regulate fares in black cars? Actually, no. The Taxi and Limousine Commission calls these cars (they come in other colors, too) For Hire Vehicles. The TLC tells Ask Gothamist that they regulate For Hire Vehicles, but don't set the fares. In an email, they tell us: For-Hire Vehicles operating in New York are also the responsibility of the Commission. These are the limousines, the 'black cars' that mainly service corporate accounts and......

Can you explain what my rights are as a taxi passenger regarding EZ-Pass? I travel weekly, and when returning to the city, I want to avoid potential cash lines at the tolls. Therefore, when I enter a cab at the airport, if I don't see an EZ-Pass attached to the windshield (which is often) I ask the driver if they have EZ-Pass. I get a lot of grumbling, some lies, and last night a cabbie......

The police arrested 60 Minutes reporter Mike Wallace last night after allegedly lunging at an officer from the Taxi and Limousine Commission. The TLC inspectors were questioning Wallace's double-parked driver outside of Luke's (Third Avenue and East 79th Street), where Wallace was picking up a takeout order of meatloaf (Gothamist loves details like that). Wallace apparently "interfered" with the inspectors, with the TLC spokesman describing the situation as such:He became overly assertive and was reported......

Some subway news to end the week: The Post reports that with the taxi fare hike, more people are riding the subway, based on some ridership numbers. The TLC thinks the dip is "seasonal," since more taxi-loving people are out of town. Gothamist agrees that could be it, but, really, sometimes the subway is the fastest way to get to the other place - unless it's weekend service. And it seems like subways are the......

The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission passed a fare increase of 26 percent for all yellow cabs; the increase will go into effect May 1. The TLC will also be introducing credit and debit card payment in cabs. Changes: - Base fee of $2.50 (old: $2) - One fifth a mile now 40 cents (old: 30 cents) - Peak travel surcharge $1, between 4PM and 8PM (also keeping the 50 cent surchage between 8PM and......