ALBANY — Mayor Bloomberg yesterday picked up an unlikely ally in his fight to expand street-hail cab service to the outer boroughs — the Rev. Al Sharpton.
With tomorrow the deadline for Gov. Cuomo to act, Sharpton urged him to sign the controversial, Bloomberg-backed measure into law.
Cuomo has threatened to veto it absent added protections for the disabled, better enforcement mechanisms and other changes.
The bill would let as many as 30,000 livery drivers pick up street hails in the outer boroughs and upper Manhattan by buying permits, and would generate an estimated $1 billion in revenue for the city by approving the auction of 2,000 medallions for yellow cabs with handicapped access.
The cash is desperately needed by a city struggling to bridge a $2 billion gap under next year’s budget — which already assumes that the new taxi revenue is coming in.
Cuomo has been working on amendments to the bill in anticipation of meeting with key legislators today to hammer out a compromise.
Assemblyman Micah Kellner (D-Manhattan), who is disabled, called for the governor to exercise his veto power until handicapped access has been expanded.