Int. No. 935
By Council Members Linares, Eldridge, Clarke, Malave-Dilan, Espada, Henry, Lopez, Michels, Perkins, Reed, Watkins and White; also Council Members Foster, O'Donovan and Provenzano
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing designated zones in which for-hire vehicles affiliated with base stations may accept passengers without prearrangement.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter one of title 19 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding thereto a new section 19-167 to read as follows:
§19-167 Creation of zones in which acceptance of passengers on the street is permissible. The department, in consultation with the taxi and limousine commission and the livery advisory board, shall establish designated zones in each borough in which for-hire vehicles affiliated with base stations may accept passengers without prearrangement. The department shall create each zone no later than six months after the effective date of this section.
§2. Paragraph 4 of subdivision a of section 19-507 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:
4. No driver of a for-hire vehicle shall accept passengers unless the passengers have engaged the use of the for-hire vehicle on the basis of telephone contract or prearrangement, except that the driver of a for-hire vehicle affiliated with a base station may accept passengers without prearrangement when such vehicle is operating within a zone designated by the department for acceptance of passengers on the street.
§3. Subdivision a of section 19-516 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:
a. For-hire vehicles may accept passengers only on the basis of telephone contract or prearrangement, except that for-hire vehicles affiliated with base stations may also accept passengers when the vehicle is operated within a zone designated by the department in accordance with section 19-167 of this title. Upon acceptance of a passenger or passengers within a zone designated in accordance with section 19-167 of this title, the driver of such affiliated for-hire vehicle shall notify the base station with which the for-hire vehicle is affiliated of the number of passengers, the location at which the passenger or passengers were accepted and their intended destination or destinations. Each base station shall maintain a record containing such information and the driver shall also enter this information on a trip record. The owner of a for-hire vehicle affiliated with a base station that accepts passengers without prearrangement within a zone designated in accordance with section 19-167 of this title shall conspicuously display its taxi and limousine commission license number and the telephone number and address of the base station with which it is affiliated on the back of the driver's seat in a clear, plastic enclosure so that it may be readily observed by a passenger. The commission may establish such disciplinary actions as it deems appropriate for failure to abide by the provisions of this chapter.
§4. Subdivision e of section 19-520 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:
e. Livery advisory board. There shall be a livery advisory board to consist of not more than [twenty] fifteen members to be appointed for two-year terms by the [chairman] commission, upon nomination by the council, to advise the commission concerning matters relating to the livery industry, including the preparation of rules and regulations for the class of for-hire vehicles commonly known as "liveries," for the owners and drivers thereof, and for livery vehicle base operators. The livery advisory board shall be comprised of three members representing livery vehicle owners, three members representing livery drivers, two members representing the commission, one member representing the commissioner of transportation, one member representing the police department and five members of the general public, one from each of the boroughs of the city and shall meet no less often than once every three months. The livery advisory board shall, in consultation with the commission, issue a report to the mayor and the council on June 30 and December 31 of each year on the status of the livery industry, including any issues prevalent in the livery industry and suggestions and recommendations relevant to such issues.
§5. This local law shall take effect thirty days after its enactment into law.