Bronx Borough President Diaz Plan for Street Hail Endorsed by Livery Round Table

LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y., June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Statement by the Livery Round Table (LRT), the City's most broad-based and geographically diverse Livery Community Car Service industry representative.

"The Livery Round Table (LRT) strongly supports Borough President Ruben Diaz's street hail proposal which includes the following elements:

• a feasible opportunity for the participation of the livery drivers and bases,
• an outer borough medallion dedicated to street hail service, while
• securing the integrity of the prearrange service in the outer boroughs.

The Bronx Borough President's proposal takes the best of the differing concepts to create a workable plan.  The core of his proposal delinking the medallions, no dual use and financing requirements creates a framework that protects all stakeholders and provides the outer borough residents with much needed street hail service.

Delinking outer borough medallions from yellow cab medallions is truly the only way to make the Mayor's street hail proposal a reality.  Currently, Yellow Medallions cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Delinking will allow for the creation of an affordable new medallion.  An affordable medallion allows the Livery Industry entrance into legitimate outer borough street hailing service.  This element is vital, as the Livery Industry has for 35 years been the only For Hire Vehicles service available to the outer boroughs.  As such, the Livery Industry has earned the right to participate in the new outer borough street hail medallion.

No dual use medallions (allowing the new medallions to only engage in street hail operation) secures the prearranged for hire vehicle sector by allowing these bases and cars to continue to provide passengers with reliable service.   When a passenger calls a base for prearranged service, the customer must be able to depend on that car showing up at the appointed time and not delayed by picking up street hail fares.  Without this "no dual use" component, the prearranged sector of the Livery Industry would be destroyed and transportation service to outer borough residents would suffer.

The Borough President's insistence that the city provide financing to the Livery Industry is critical if livery operator owners will have a realistic opportunity to purchase such medallions.  Each livery car operator owner represents a small business.  Such small businesses are the heart of the Livery Industry that without adequate available financing will be economically unable to purchase the outer borough medallion and therefore continue as viable small businesses.  

Again, The Livery Roundtable applauds Borough President Diaz's dedication and thoughtfulness in sifting through the various proposals to develop a solution that serves all New Yorkers.

SOURCE Livery Round Table