Chapter 65 - NEW YORK CITY TAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION

Section 2300.

Section 2300.

  § 2300.  Commission. There shall be a New York city taxi and limousine
commission, the purposes of which  shall  be  the  continuance,  further
development and improvement of taxi and limousine service in the city of
New  York.  It shall be the further purpose of the commission, consonant
with the promotion and protection of the public comfort and  convenience
to adopt and establish an overall public transportation policy governing
taxi,  coach, limousine, wheelchair accessible van services and commuter
van services as it relates to the overall public transportation  network
of the city; to establish certain rates, standards of service, standards
of   insurance  and  minimum  coverage;  standards  for  driver  safety,
standards for equipment safety and design; standards for noise  and  air
pollution  control;  and to set standards and criteria for the licensing
of vehicles, drivers and chauffeurs, owners  and  operators  engaged  in
such services; all as more particularly set forth herein.

Section 2301.

Section 2301.

  §  2301.  Membership of commission. a. The commission shall consist of
nine members to be appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of
the city council; five of said members, one resident from  each  of  the
five  boroughs of New York city, shall be recommended for appointment by
a majority vote of the councilmen of the respective borough.
  b. Such members shall be appointed  for  terms  of  seven  years.  The
members shall first be appointed to serve as follows:
  1.  Five  members  recommended  by  the city council for a term of two
years.
  2. Two members for a term of four years.
  3. Two members for a term of six years.
  Each  such  other  member  shall  serve  until  the  appointment   and
qualification  of  a successor. For the purpose of fixing the expiration
of terms, they shall be deemed to have commenced on  the  first  day  of
February  in  the year of appointment and qualification, irrespective of
the actual date of appointment and qualification. Vacancies  other  than
by  expiration  of  a  term  shall be filled for the unexpired term. The
mayor may remove  any  such  member  for  cause,  upon  stated  charges.
Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  this paragraph, any public officer
appointed to the commission shall serve only during the period  that  he
holds such public office and shall receive no additional compensation.
  c.  The  mayor  shall designate one member of the commission to act as
the chairman and chief executive officer. The chairman shall have charge
of the organization of its office and have authority to  employ,  assign
and  superintend  the  duties  of  such officers and employees as may be
necessary to carry out the provisions  of  this  chapter.  The  chairman
shall devote his full time to this position and as such he shall receive
compensation.
  d.  The  other  members  of  the  commission  shall not be entitled to
compensation.
  e. A majority of the whole number of members of the commission then in
office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction  of  any  business.
The commission shall have power to act by a majority of its members.

Section 2302.

Section 2302.

  §  2302.  Reports  of commission. a. All proceedings of the commission
and all documents and records in its possession shall be public  records
and the commission shall make an annual report to the city council on or
before  the  second  Monday  of January in each year. Such annual report
shall  contain  information  regarding  complaints   received   by   the
commission from the public, including, but not limited to, complaints of
overcharging,   as   well  as  enforcement  actions  undertaken  by  the
commission, whether the enforcement action was dismissed or settled,  or
if  a  penalty  was  imposed  by  the  commission  on the subject of the
enforcement action. The information regarding enforcement actions  shall
include,  but not be limited to, enforcement actions relating to illegal
street  hails,  unlicensed  vehicles,  overcharging,   and   toll   lane
infractions.  The  complaint and enforcement action information shall be
disaggregated by the type of license held by the person or entity who is
the subject of the complaint or action and the month  during  which  the
complaint  was  received  or  enforcement action undertaken. Enforcement
actions shall be further disaggregated by  the  subject  matter  of  the
action  and  geographic location. Complaint information shall be further
disaggregated to the extent practicable by the  subject  matter  of  the
complaint.  In  addition to inclusion in the commission's annual report,
the disaggregated complaint and enforcement information shall be  posted
on  the  commission's  website updated no less than monthly. Information
shall be published in a manner that does  not  identify  the  individual
parties  involved  in  the  actions  reported  upon in this section. The
chairman of the city council committee on transportation may at any time
direct the commission or the chairman of the commission to appear before
the committee to give testimony pertaining thereto, and  to  furnish  to
the members of the council any reports deemed necessary.
  b. The commission shall make a quarterly report to the city council on
or  before  the  second Monday of March, June, September and December in
each year. Each such quarterly report shall contain information for  the
immediately  preceding quarter regarding the average wait time to secure
a vehicle inspection at the commission's assigned inspection facility as
required under the rules of  the  commission.  Such  report  shall  also
contain  the number of instances when the wait for an inspection exceeds
four weeks. All information shall be disaggregated by vehicle type.

Section 2303.

Section 2303.

  §  2303.  Jurisdiction,  powers  and  duties  of  commission.  a.  The
jurisdiction, powers and duties of  the  commission  shall  include  the
regulation   and   supervision   of   the   business   and  industry  of
transportation of persons by licensed vehicles for  hire  in  the  city,
pursuant  to  provisions  of  this chapter. Except as otherwise provided
herein, charges of violations of the provisions  of  the  administrative
code  and  rules  promulgated  thereunder  shall  be  adjudicated by the
administrative tribunal established by the commission  and  governed  by
the citywide administrative procedure act.
  b. Such regulation and supervision shall extend to:
  1.  The  regulation and supervision of rates of fare to be charged and
collected.
  2. The regulation and  supervision  of  standards  and  conditions  of
service.
  3.  The revocation and suspension of licenses for vehicles, other than
licenses issued pursuant to state law, provided, however,  that  taxicab
licenses  represented  by  medallions  heretofore  issued  shall  in all
respects remain valid in accordance with their  terms  and  transferable
according to law.
  4.  Taxicab  licenses  represented by medallions which have heretofore
been surrendered are hereby revoked. Additional taxicab licenses may  be
issued  from  time  to  time  only  upon  the  enactment  of a local law
providing therefor. Any nontransferable licenses shall be deemed revoked
upon the surrender by or death of the holder thereof.
  5. The issuance,  revocation,  suspension  of  licenses  for  drivers,
chauffeurs,  owners or operators of vehicles, other than licenses issued
pursuant to state law, and for taxicab brokers and the establishment  of
qualifying standards required for such licensees.
  6.   Requirements   of  standards  of  safety,  and  design,  comfort,
convenience, noise and air  pollution  control  and  efficiency  in  the
operation of vehicles and auxiliary equipment.
  7.  Requirements  for  the  maintenance  of  financial responsibility,
insurance and minimum coverage.
  8. The establishment of, and the requirement of adherence to,  uniform
system  of  accounts,  with the right of the commission to inspect books
and records and to  require  the  submission  of  such  reports  as  the
commission may determine.
  9.  The  development  and  effectuation  of  a  broad public policy of
transportation affected by this chapter as it relates to forms of public
transportation in the city, including innovation and experimentation  in
relation to type and design of equipment, modes of service and manner of
operation,  which  for  limited purposes and limited periods of time may
depart from the requirements otherwise established for licensed vehicles
pursuant to this chapter.
  10. Assistance to the business and industry of  public  transportation
affected  by  this  chapter  in aid of the continuation, development and
improvement of service and the safety and  convenience  of  the  public,
including assistance in securing federal and state grants.
  11.  The  formulation,  promulgation  and  effectuation  of  rules and
regulations reasonably designed to carry out  the  purposes,  terms  and
provisions of this chapter.
  c.  (1)  The  commission  shall  create  an administrative tribunal to
adjudicate charges of violation of provisions of the administrative code
and rules promulgated thereunder. The commission shall have the power to
enforce its tribunal's decisions and orders  imposing  civil  penalties,
not  to  exceed ten thousand dollars for each respondent, for violations
relating to unlicensed vehicles  for  hire  and  unlicensed  drivers  of
vehicles  for  hire  **and  for  violations relating to the operation of

commuter  van  services  without  authorization  and  the  operation  of
unlicensed  commuter  vans  and  unlicensed  drivers  of  commuter  vans
pursuant to chapter five of title nineteen of the administrative  code**
as  if  they  were  money  judgments,  without court proceedings, in the
following manner:  Any  such  decision  or  order  of  the  commission's
administrative   tribunal   imposing   a   civil  penalty,  whether  the
adjudication was had by hearing or  upon  default  or  otherwise,  shall
constitute a judgment rendered by the commission which may be entered in
the civil court of New York or any other place provided for the entry of
civil judgments within the state. Before a judgment based upon a default
may  be  so entered the commission or administrative tribunal shall have
first notified the respondent by first class mail in such  form  as  the
commission  may  direct:  (i)  of  the default and order and the penalty
imposed; (ii) that a judgment will be entered in the civil court of  the
city  of  New  York  or any other place provided by law for the entry of
civil judgments within the state of New York; and (iii)  that  entry  of
such  judgment  may  be avoided by requesting a stay of default for good
cause shown and either requesting a hearing or entering a plea  pursuant
to  **the  rules  of  the  commission  or administrative tribunal within
thirty days of** the mailing of such notice.
  * So in original. (**text between** deleted without brackets).
  (2) The commission or tribunal shall not enter any decision  or  order
pursuant  to  paragraph  one  of  this  subdivision unless the notice of
violation shall have been served in the same manner as is prescribed for
service of process by article three of the civil practice law and  rules
or  article  three of the business corporation law except that: (a) with
respect to any notice of violation which alleges  the  operation  of  an
unlicensed  vehicle for hire the operator of such vehicle who is not the
owner thereof but who uses or operates such vehicle with the  permission
of  the  owner,  express  or implied, shall be deemed to be the agent of
such owner to receive such notice of violation and service made pursuant
to this paragraph on such operator shall also be  deemed  to  be  lawful
service  upon such owner; or (b) with respect to any notice of violation
which alleges the operation of an unauthorized commuter van  service  or
an  unlicensed  commuter van, the operator of the vehicle giving rise to
such violation who is not the owner of such commuter van service or such
commuter van, as applicable, but who uses or operates such vehicle  with
the  permission,  express  or implied, of the owner of such commuter van
service or such commuter van, as the case may be, shall be deemed to  be
the  agent  of  the  owner of such commuter van service or such commuter
van, as the case may be, to receive such notice  of  violation.  Service
made  pursuant  to this paragraph on such operator shall be deemed to be
lawful service upon the owner of such commuter van service  or  commuter
van, as applicable.
  d.  No  resolution of approval of a pilot program shall be approved by
the commission unless such resolution is posted in a prominent  location
on  the  commission's  website  and  electronically  transmitted to each
member of the commission at least  three  calendar  days,  exclusive  of
Sundays,  prior  to  the  commission's  vote  to  approve or reject such
resolution of approval; provided, however, that revisions may be made to
a resolution of approval for a pilot  program  posted  online  and  sent
electronically  in conformity with this subdivision at any time prior to
a vote on such resolution if such revisions are approved by all  members
of the commission by unanimous consent.

Section 2304.

Section 2304.

  §  2304. Rates. a. The amount to be charged and collected for the hire
of a taxicab for one or more passengers within  the  city  of  New  York
shall be the total of the following items:
  1.  For the first one-fifth mile or fraction thereof, or the first one
minute of waiting time or fraction thereof, or the combination  thereof,
sixty cents.
  2.  For  each  additional  one-fifth  mile  or  fraction  thereof,  or
seventy-two  seconds  of  waiting  time  or  fraction  thereof,  or  the
combination thereof, ten cents.
  3. Fifty cents for each trunk.
  4. All bridge and tunnel and ferry tolls.
  5.  There  shall  be  no  charge  for  personal  luggage  or for other
belongings of the passengers transported in the interior of the taxicab.
  b. Hereafter, and notwithstanding the rates set forth in  paragraph  a
of  this  section,  the commission shall prescribe, revise and otherwise
regulate reasonable rates of fare which may be charged and collected for
each type of service rendered.
  c. In determining the rates of fare, the commission may  consider  all
facts  which  in  its judgment have a bearing on a proper determination,
with due regard among other things to the time and distance  of  travel,
to  the character of the service provided, to the gross revenues derived
from operation, to  the  net  return  derived  from  operation,  to  the
expenses  of  operation including the income of drivers or operators, to
the return upon capital actually expended and the  necessity  of  making
reservations  out of income for surplus and contingencies, to the number
of passengers transported, to the effect of fares upon the public and in
relation to the fares for other forms of public transportation,  and  to
the fares and practices with respect to similar services in other cities
of the United States.
  d. No determination by the commission changing the rates of fare shall
be  made  except  after a public hearing before the commission, at which
evidence shall be taken.
  e. At any public hearing involving a change in the rates of fare,  the
burden  of proof to show that existing rates are not reasonable shall be
upon such segment of the business or industry affected by  this  chapter
as is involved in the change in rates.
  f.  The  costs reasonably attributable to a public hearing involving a
change in the rates of fare, including the expenses  of  the  commission
and  the  compensation  of  its officers, agents and employees, shall be
charged to and paid by such segment of the business or industry affected
by this chapter as is involved in the change in rates.