Video of press conference from August 26, 2010. Click here for NYTWA's YouTube channel.
On behalf of the Sharif family, we would like to express our gratitude for the heart-warming support from our fellow New Yorkers and to our neighbors across the country. Many of you have generously sent in donations to the family through NYTWA. We thank you for this kindness and ask for further support.
Please write in the memo, "Ahmed Sharif Family."
Checks and money orders can be made payable to, "Ahmed Sharif" Mail to: Ahmed Sharif c/o New York Taxi Workers Alliance 250 Fifth Avenue, Suite 310 NY, NY 10001
We will deliver the monies immediately to the family as they come in and send you a receipt signed by Ahmed for acknowledgment. Thank you.
No More Ahmed Sharifs! Support Taxi Workers Struggle for Protection! Join Ahmed and the countless other driver victims of violence on the job and call for the state to enact the Taxi Driver Protection Act! The bill was passed with overwhelming support in the NYS Assembly and Senate, and is now awaiting the signature of the Governor. Call on Speaker Silver to send the bill to the Governor's desk for signing and call on the Governor to sign NOW!
Build Justice & Rights for Taxi Workers! Support the Work of NYTWA! NYTWA is a membership-based not-for-profit organization. Our funds are derived from membership, private foundation support and individual supporters. To make a donation, please click here.
Please note "For NYTWA" in the memo. Or, send a check made payable to "NYTWA." Thank you.
Taxi Driver Brutally Attacked in Anti-Muslim Hate Crime
PRESS CONFERENCE THURSDAY, AUGUST 26TH, 2010 1:00PM City Hall Steps
Ahmed H. Sharif, 43, a yellow taxi cab driver slashed across the neck, face and shoulders by a passenger during an anti-Muslim hate crime will stand with fellow New York Taxi Workers Alliance members, and community, immigrant and Muslim organizations to call for an end to the bigotry and anti-Islamic rhetoric in the debate around the Park 51 Islamic Cultural Center, referred to as the Ground Zero Mosque. “I feel very sad. I have been here more than 25 years. I have been driving a taxi more than 15 years. All my four kids were born here. I never feel this hopeless and insecure before,” said Mr. Sharif. “Right now, the public sentiment is very serious (because of the Ground Zero Mosque debate.) All drivers should be more careful.”
On Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 Mr. Sharif picked up the perpetrator at 24th Street and Second Avenue, his first fare for the shift, and headed toward Times Square. The man, 21, started out friendly, asking Mr. Sharif about where he was from, how long he had been in America, if he was Muslim and if he was observing fast during Ramadan. He then first became silent for a few minutes and then suddenly started cursing and screaming. There, at about 6:15pm at Third Avenue between 40th and 41st Streets, he yelled, “Assalamu Alaikum. Consider this a checkpoint,” and then slashed Mr. Sharif across the neck. As Mr. Sharif went to knock the knife out, the perpetrator, continuing to scream loudly, cut the taxi driver in the face (from nose to upper lip), arm and hand.
“While a minority of has-been politicians spew ignorance and fear, it’s the working person on the street who has to face the consequences,” said NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai. “This kind of bigotry only breeds more violence and makes taxi drivers all the more vulnerable on the streets where there are no bully pulpits or podiums to hide behind.” The US Department of Labor reports taxi drivers to be thirty times more likely to be killed on the job than other workers.
The 13,000-member NYTWA called on the District Attorney to be vigilant in its prosecution of the attempted murder and hate crime and urged the Governor to sign the Taxi Driver Protection Act, passed by the state legislature on June 26th, 2010, increasing penalties on crimes against taxi drivers and requiring a sign in all taxis, “WARNING: Assaulting a Taxi Driver is Punishable by Up to Twenty-Five Years in Prison.” “Maybe if the warning sign was there, this kind of stranger who comes to us with hatred would have to think twice,” said Anwar Hossain. “At least we could feel safer and not alone. No matter what political issue is going on, at least we could be treated as equal Americans and feel protected.”
We are pleased to announce that TLC Chairperson David Yassky will be joining us at the LaGuardia Airport Main Lot to meet with drivers. Please join us and speak directly with Chairman Yassky about issues that are most important to you. We all know the issues. Let the head industry regulator know your solutions. Park in the lot and use your time fighting for driver power!
Check out our own videos on our very own Youtube Channel! Click here: www.youtube.com/nytwa
June 25: NYS Legislature Passes Taxi Driver Protection Act
For Immediate Release: June 25, 2010
Assembly: 141 Yes / 1 No ; Senate: 60 Yes / 0 No
On Friday, June 25th at about 4:30pm, in a unanimous vote—60 Yes, 0 no—the NYS Senate passed the Taxi Driver Protection Act sponsored by Senator Eric Adams. The Assembly passed the same bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Rory Lancman, on Tuesday, June 22nd in a vote of 141 to 1. The Taxi Driver Protection Act increases the penalties on assaults against taxicab, black car, and livery drivers and requires a sticker in every taxicab: "WARNING: Assaulting A Taxi Driver Is Punishable By Up To Twenty-Five Years In Prison." On misdemeanor assaults which carry maximum one year prison, the penalty will increase to a mandatory two year prison term if the victim is a driver. On felony assaults, there will be a penalty enhancement of five additional years to the term if the victim is a driver. The bill now goes to the Governor for signing. Within ten days, the bill will become law.
We are overjoyed beyond words.
We raise this victory in prayer to our brother Shajedur Rahman who, four and a half years later, remains in a vegetative state after recovering from a coma following an assault on October 2, 2005. We are indebted to his beautiful wife Shahida and their three beautiful girls whose courage has guided this campaign at every step and juncture.
We are so thankful to our superb Sponsors, Assemblyman Lancman who championed and authored the bill with unbelievable precision and commitment and the incomparable Senator Adams who kept up our spirits and championed a ninth inning rally to bring home the victory!
We want to especially recognize staff Allison Weingarten and Brad Fischer for their unwavering dedication to the protection of taxi workers.
We also thank Taxi and Limousine Commission Chairman David Yassky who endorsed the campaign within just days of taking his new post.
We are humbled by our injured brothers and sisters who have graciously taken some of the most traumatic moments of their lives and used them for a lifetime of protection for their fellow drivers. This campaign was born in the hospital bed of our brother Mamnun Ul Haq, co-founder of NYTWA, who despite shooting pain from the wounds of a 10-inch hunting knife, imagined a political solution where justice lay in the future, not a bitter past. We salute with admiration all the sisters and brothers who have stood with us at press conferences and hearing rooms, retelling their nightmare for a better tomorrow: Mamnun Ul Haq, Neeru Singh, Mohammad Chowdhury, Enois Malbranche, Ousmane Drame, Ndiaye Serigne, Jangbir Singh, Syed Salman, Abubakar Abdallah, Jamil Hussain, Zakir Howlader, Amarjit Singh Soni, Gurmail Singh, Frederick Dsouza, among thousands.
This victory was shouldered by the members of NYTWA who made the trek to Albany, sacrificing income, sleep, rest, paying lease out of pocket and covering the trip costs themselves. You are our heroes.
May this victory—won in an unprecedented six weeks of mobilization—be the shining reminder that unity is power and workers united will never be defeated.
At the end of the day, after all other reflection, may this victory above all serve as a dedication to the brothers and sisters we have lost through the years. May their loved ones know we never forgot. We dedicate to you, Mohammad Elwaleed, Mohammad Butt, Ibrahima Doukare, Humayun Laskar, in our loving memory.
NEW YORK—Two more taxi drivers reported Thursday assault on the job, just weeks after a driver was slashed across the neck and barely survived. Now local officials are raising support for a bill that will toughen penalties for assaulting a taxi driver.
The two recently assaulted drivers include Abubakar Abdallah, 46, and Jangbir Singh, 45. Abdallah who was left bleeding from cuts on the face and shoulder and a fractured nose, before five attackers took his taxi and collided into a private car. Singh was spat at, racially slandered, and assaulted in the arm with a metal pipe. Singh's passenger, a tourist returning to Canada, witnessed the scene while screaming in the backseat.
“We need an anti-violence bill to stop yellow cabs from being turned into moving targets,” said 30-year veteran driver Beresford Simmons in a press release. “These assaults leave us drivers and even our riders and others on the street vulnerable and injured.”
Abdallah and Singh joined the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) to call for a “Day of Enough is Enough: Respect our Labor. Protect our Lives” on May 25. All participating taxis will be decorated with symbolic red ribbons and go for a motorcade to Albany to urge the passage of the Taxi Driver Protection Act.
Introduced by Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Queens) and state Sen. Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn) and endorsed by newly appointed Taxi & Limousine Commission Chairman David Yassky, the act would make assaults against drivers a felony and require warning signs inside taxis, same as the ones already in buses and subways.
Both Abdallah and Singh said they will join the taxi caravan to the state capital, hoping their suffering will not be in vain.
“I want the blood that I shed to have meaning and not be ignored,” said Abdallah.
News from Taxi Driver Protection Act April 11 Press Conference
Taxi drivers hail law making cabbie attacks a felony
BY Pete Donohue
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Sunday, April 11th 2010, 4:00 AM
A taxi drivers group will call for a law making it a felony to attack hacks in the wake of a cabbie getting slashed across the throat by two women going to the Bronx.
Two female thugs - angry that cabbie Mohammed Chowdhury asked one of them to stop urinating in his car - are accused of slicing him with a utility knife in late March.
"I'm lucky to be alive," said Chowdhury, who suffered a 5-inch wound. "It's a miracle."
Chowdhury will relive the March 28 attack Sunday when he appears with Taxi Workers Alliance officials to call for more legal protections for cab drivers.
The drivers group wants a "shield law" mandating that felony charges punishable by a prison sentence be levied against anyone who assaults a cabbie, even if the injury inflicted is minor. Eighty-nine cabbies have been robbed this year, according to the NYPD.
"We want the law to deter crimes against drivers, not have their safety be left solely to luck and miracles," said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the Taxi Workers Alliance. "We want the public to know drivers are not alone; the law is on their side."
Taxi drivers say the city jumped the gun last month when it announced three-quarters of the city’s cabbies had overcharged passengers at least once.
During a City Council hearing Wednesday, the former head of the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission Matthew Daus said the numbers were simply misinterpreted.
"The numbers that the press reported, not necessarily the TLC, at the time, basically indicated and portrayed the drivers as all being guilty," Daus said. "If you look at the first statements that I put out on it, I never said that, the TLC never said that."
In fact, Daus has since acknowledged that many of the overcharges were mistakes or accidents that actually resulted in no added charges. But he stood by his decision to release the numbers, saying it alerted the public to a scam whereby drivers would charge the suburban rate, which shows up as "Rate 4" instead of "Rate 1" on the meter.
TLC statistics are taking honest New York City cabbies for a ride
BY DAN ACKMAN AND BHAIRAVI DESAI Wednesday, March 24th 2010, 4:00 AM
News that New York City taxi drivers cheated passengers of some $8.3 million was shocking, especially to those familiar with the industry. It was, in fact, too shocking to be believed.
According to a press release hurried out late Friday afternoon by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, the agency had suddenly "discovered" 1,872,078 trips where passengers were illegally charged an excessive rate.
By the following Monday, the TLC was moving in reverse, with its chairman, Matthew Daus, saying new data shows "a very large number" of drivers were mistakenly implicated in the scam. The so-called scam, as we now know, was that passengers were charged a suburban-rate double fare for rides in the city. As it turns out, the drivers did hit the wrong fare button. But they did so accidentally at the end of the rides—which means no passengers were overcharged.
Hacking the Facts: Commish's bogus fare-cheat claim defamed city cabbies
Taxi & Limousine Commission Chairman Matthew Daus leaves office this week the author of what will be an enduring urban legend: that New York taxi drivers stole $8 million from unwitting passengers.
Taxi Drivers Demand Apology After TLC Chair Backs Off Claim of Universal Overcharge
For Immediate Release: March 23rd, 2010
Drivers Say Problems Won’t be Fixed Until the Technology is Replaced; Call for Independent Investigation of TLC
Press Conference
TUESDAY, March 23, 2010
12:00 noon
40 Rector Street (TLC Headquarters)
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance will hold a press conference outside TLC headquarters, demanding an apology to go along with TLC Chairman Mathew Daus' backtracking on the agency's charges made just ten days of universal overcharging by drivers. The TLC has come under fire after admitting at a City Council hearing that upon further review, a "significant" number of the rides they accused drivers of overcharging were actually charged at the lawful rate. Mr. Daus also acknowledged that the mistake was with the meter design and GPS-data reporting. Just ten days prior, Mr. Daus had issued a press release accusing 35,585 drivers of complicity in overcharging 1.8 million rides at a cost of $8.3 million over 26 months. The fares represented half of one percent of all rides in the time period, but implicated the entire workforce. The agency's backing off from the shocking allegation has the drivers feeling vindicated and all the more enraged over the initial accusation.
For Immediate Release: FRIDAY, March 12, 2010 For More Information, please call: Bhairavi Desai
NYTWA Statement on TLC's Overcharge Indictment of Entire Taxi Workforce
Investigate the Investigation!
"The TLC released findings today alleging overcharges on average of $4.45 per fare by a whopping over 35,500 drivers over 26 months. While there are over 49,000 hack license holders, only about 30,000 are full-time, steady drivers who operate 13,237 medallion taxicabs. So at 35,000 alleged violators, we are talking the whole universe of drivers. The TLC's findings are based on technology - there are no actual witnesses to the allegations. The fact that the technology condemns the whole universe of active drivers alone tells us that this was not about individuals; there was a systemic failure here. There is only one common element across the board in all of these alleged incidents: the taxi meter and technology. The drivers varied. The trips varied. The payments varied. Only the meters and technology were the same.
Last night, March 11th, a message appeared in all cabs served by one of the three GPS vendors, stating that the credit card readers would be out for up to four hours last night so drivers could only take cash. How many riders were angry and doubtful of the driver, blaming him or her when they were told the reader wasn't working? Drivers have been scapegoated for the failures of this technology over and again.
There should be a more thorough investigation before judgment is cast on an entire workforce. Taxi drivers are some of the hardest working and honest New Yorkers, laboring back-breaking 12-hour shifts without safety or health care. There are countless stories of drivers returning diamonds and tens of thousands of dollars in cash. Yet, according to the technology, the same workforce would cheat the general public over $4? These allegations raise more questions about the technology, the meters, and the investigation - than it does about drivers."
Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director New York Taxi Workers Alliance
Immigrant Rights Activists Rally In New York City New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV "... here to say there's more of us here in this country that are against the Arizona proposal," added Bhairavi Desai of New York's Taxi Workers Alliance. ... <http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-immigration-protests-nyc,0,3865799.story>
Union Brings Taxi Drivers' Fight to National Leaders
For Immediate Release: November 30, 2009
A New York Taxi Workers Alliance delegation traveled to Washington, D.C. to bring the plight of New York City taxi drivers directly to the President himself. Executive Director Bhairavi Desai and co-founder and Organizing Committee member Javaid Tariq represented the union at President Barack Obama's first and highly anticipated state dinner, held on Tuesday, November 24th in honor of the visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "When we first met President Obama on the receiving line, he said, '(y)ou know I was an organizer too'," reported Ms. Desai. "This was such an honor for us. I remember the days when the old Mayor wouldn't allow us to enter City Hall. And here we were in the White House.
As the world mourns the unspeakable affects of a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, we too express our deep sorrow over this unimaginable tragedy. Three million out of a population of nine million were directly affected by the earthquake. Over forty percent of the Haitian population is children under 14 years of age. The earthquake has paralyzed the capital and devastated the entire nation; the earthquake follows after years of deadly floods and wide-spread poverty. Electricity is out. Communication networks have collapsed. Homes, buildings, hospitals, schools have been toppled. There are massive shortages of clean water, food, medicine and medical personnel. It is feared to be the deadliest earthquake in history over the past forty years.
New York City is home to the largest Haitian community outside of Port-au-Prince, the devastated capital which was the epicenter of the quake. Among the close to 125,000 Haitian New Yorkers, taxi driving is one of the prime professions.
Our Haitian brothers and sisters are the second largest ethnic group in the taxi industry. We cannot imagine the courage, faith, patience, strength this time calls upon you. We stand with you. We are here for your service. May there be light at the end of this tragedy.
American Red Cross Text “HAITI” to 9-0-9-9-9 and make a $10 donation
Doctors Without Borders 1-888-392-0392
Doctors Without Borders USA PO Box 5030 Hagerstown, MD 21741
UNICEF 1-800-486-4233 (1-800-4UNICEF)
Yele Haiti Text 'Yele' to 5-0-1-5-0-1 and make a $5 donation
The garages’ association, the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade (MTBOT), lost their state lawsuit to limit the TLC’s powers over them and basically leave drivers defenseless. They wanted to charge taxes above the lease cap, limit TLC’s authority to only raise caps—never lower them, and require owner profits—not driver income and health —to be the chief factor in deciding on caps. Millionaire garages claim if the new TLC rules stay, they will go bankrupt. Thirty years ago, with leasing, they took away drivers’ right to a union. Now they want to take away our right to regulatory protection. Under representation by lawyers from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, NYTWA submitted key affidavits against the garages.
Fair Taxi Tax CollectionThe meter went up by fifty cents on November 1, 2009 but not one penny goes to the driver. In fact, on fares paid by credit card, and disputed or voided fares or fare beatings, drivers will lose money. Who will profit? First, the MTA – who is expected to rake in over $70 million in revenue. Second, The Garages and Brokers – who will accumulate up to three-months of interest on the money collected from the drivers; for a 250-car fleet, over $37,000 within a year. Click here for details.
Traffic Rights for Taxi Drivers! During a meeting with Department of Transportation officials and transit experts on Tuesday, March 3rd, a New York Taxi Workers Alliance delegation comprised of Osman Chowdhury, Bhairavi Desai, William Lindauer and Javaid Tariq, presented a list of proposals to ensure traffic rights for the city’s busiest and only 24-hour motorists. “Right now, both the driver and the passenger suffer when taxis are stuck in traffic. Sometimes, the rider leaves us mid-way so we lose the fare and are stuck in gridlocks we would have avoided if we were just empty,” said Javaid Tariq. NYTWA proposed the right of occupied taxis to use bus lanes, exemption from turn restrictions, more turning space in smaller lanes and taxi drop-off/pick-up stands, especially near Penn Station. “People take taxis to get to the destination safely and quickly. We are asking for traffic rights for when the taxi is occupied with a passenger so we can serve our customers better and not take an economic beating ourselves,” said William Lindauer. NYTWA also asked for all “taxi stands” which are not near transportation hubs to be converted to relief stands, stop the towing of parked taxis at various gas stations and prevent ticketing of drivers for pick-ups or drop-offs at bus lanes. Click here to download NYTWA traffic demands. Demand Money for Health Care, not Useless Technology! NYTWA slams ads blitzes, the use of GPS surveillance for tracking and enforcement, and the unjust 5% credit card heist in our response to the TLC’s Request for Information regarding changes to the current technology as well as new technologies. The TLC is reviewing the technology in taxis as its contracts with the GPS vendors come to an end in August 2010. Drivers’ interests are up against the financial interests and political capital of over 150 others, mostly technology companies looking for an exclusive market for their nonsense products. TLC is currently reviewing the responses. Get ready for GPS Fight Part 2. Click here to download NYTWA’s response. Stop the 5% Credit Card Heist!
