Food-truck operators can keep feeding New Yorkers, but they’d better stop illegally feeding parking meters.
The City Council is pushing a three-strikes-and-you’re-out rule that would revoke the vending license of sellers once they collect three parking tickets in a year. Their licenses would be suspended after the second ticket under the bill introduced yesterday.
The idea is to get truck managers to stop refilling parking meters — which is against the law — and to cut down on idling.
Truck owners, whose permits are issued by the Department of Health, are not exempt from posted street rules.
But many vendors and their loyal gourmands say the effects of the bill could leave thousands of people famished for their favorite street grub during lunch hours.
“This would make it impossible for gourmet food trucks to exist in New York, and our customers will miss out,” said Gene Voss, owner of the popular Schnitzel & Things truck on Park Avenue.
Yesterday, he collected 300 signatures on a petition against the bill posted on his truck.
His hungry customers agreed, and called the measure a war on local businesses.
“This is fabulous food. It’s amazing, and it’s a great addition to the local lunch options,” said David Chorney, 33, a banker from Gramercy Park.
“I don’t know who is giving small businesses a hard time like this — it’s not solving this city’s parking problem.”
But the most grave concern, one vendor said, is that the bill will restrict the variety of street food fare.
“It’s a dangerous bill! We have restaurant-quality food, and New Yorkers will be left eating hot dogs from street carts without us!” said Yassir Z. Raouli, who runs the Mediterranean-themed Bistro Truck near Union Square.
A hearing on the bill is scheduled on Wednesday before the Consumer Affairs Committee. It has support from powerful council members. If passed, it would take effect in three months.
“I don’t have a problem with vendors selling from their trucks. They’re not supposed to take up residence on our streets and just feed the meter hour after hour, and that’s what a lot of them are doing,” said Councilwoman Jessica Lappin (D-Upper East Side), who co-sponsored the bill.
The Department of Health had no comment on the measure, which was co-sponsored by Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Queens).
Lappin — who says she regularly buys gyros, hot dogs and ice cream from trucks — went on to note that vendors are supposed to abide by the same parking regulations “as you and I do.”
“There are some folks who are just taking over the streets for themselves, and I don’t think it’s right,” she said.
Dennis Kum, a cook at the schnitzel truck, said the bill could put him out of a job. “I am outraged,” he said. “We try not to get tickets and we pay our tickets on time. It has nothing to do with the quality of the food.”