The City Council and city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission sparred yesterday over a new taxi design that eliminates printed fares from the sides of taxicabs.
Councilman James Vacca (D-Bronx), Transportation Committee chair, is pushing a bill to require the TLC to reinstate the printed fares, which the city dropped earlier this year.
“I think passengers have a right to know before they get in a cab what the fare would be,” Vacca said.
He also criticized the TLC for changing the iconic “Taxi” decal on cabs to a single “T” decal.
TLC officials testified yesterday at Vacca’s hearing that the printed rates are confusing and ugly and that TV monitors inside taxis will soon show riders the rates in real time during their rides.
That feature will be available when the taxi TV system is upgraded in February.
Since the final cost of a trip “is really a formula” that depends on traffic, per-mile fares “can be misleading” to passengers, said Ashwini Chhabra, a TLC deputy commissioner.
He added,“The fact is, we now have technology aids that we didn’t have back when the exterior fare markings were originally conceived.”
The TLC opposes Vacca’s bill, which the mayor is likely to veto, should it pass the council.
It is unclear if the bill has the necessary support from Council Speaker Christine Quinn to move forward.