Raising fines on gabby cabbies glued to their cellphones has been put on hold — at least for the next six months, officials announced today.
The move comes after the Taxi and Limousine Commission announced last month that cab drivers would face stiffer penalties if caught talking while behind the wheel.
The agency will still go ahead and ramp-up regulations by imposing a three-strikes-and-yer-out system in which repeat offenders within a 15-month span will have had their hack licenses revoked.
“The one change I want to emphasize is that, after discussions with various industry leaders, we have decided to leave the fine structure as is for now, and give our regulated industries a chance to show that they can comply with these new regulations,” said TLC Chairman Matthew Daus.
The TLC never detailed how much the fines would have gone up by had the commission approved the measure.
Since 1999, the agency has banned drivers from talking on cellphones.
Under the proposed new rules, yellow cab, black car, livery and TLC-approved drivers are barred from using any kind of electronic device during non-emergencies while their vehicles are in motion. The rules also forbids drivers from having hands-free devices in their ears — even if they’re turned off.
The proposed rule changes the TLC will go ahead with include:
— Expand the TLC’s prohibition of electronic devices from cellphones to all portable and hands-free electronic devices.
— Change the penalities by increasing from two to three violator points, which would apply to first and second offenses. For a third offense, the driver would be assessed four points. As a result, even if the driver had no other persistent violator points, the driver’s license would be suspended for 30 days after a second violation and the driver’s hack license would be revoked after a third violation committed within 15 months.
— Require a driver who commits a violation to take a new driver education course emphasizing the dangers of driving while distracted by portable or hands-free electronic devices.
Daus said the proposed rule changes had always been “about safety and deterrence” — not “about collecting fines.”
“We will give taxicab and for-hire drivers six months to show that they are serious about driving without distractions,“ he added. “If this does not occur, we are prepared to raise the fines significantly as we had originally discussed to create a more effective deterrent.”