For Immediate Release: March 23^rd, 2010

Drivers Say Problems Won’t be Fixed Until the Technology is Replaced;
Call for Independent Investigation of TLC

Press Conference

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.

NYTWA, a union of over 13,000 members, has been in a heated public battle with the TLC for their indictment of the entire workforce and has been calling for attention to the GPS-meter malfunctions and an independent audit of the investigation since the press release was first issued on March 12th.  "We demand an apology," said NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai.  "Chairman Daus owes an apology to the hard-working taxi drivers of New York City who he vilified and smeared across the globe and an apology to the NYC riding public in whom he stirred up fear and confusion.  Mr. Daus' admission only gives more reason for an independent audit of (the TLC's) findings and an investigation into its rushed release," said Ms. Desai.  "The Chairman needs to answer for this mismanagement and for taking out meters that worked fine and replacing them with ones that failed the drivers and the public."

"He sent the message to the whole world that we NYC taxi drivers are all crooks and thieves and the public should be careful of us.  I know my daughter wants to know why our Chairman thinks this about us," said 18-year veteran Victor Salazar.  "It is really offensive and it's damaging to our whole industry."  NYTWA said both drivers and riders flooded the union office with calls, outraged over the TLC's blanket assertion.  "Why are we second-class citizens to a meter in their eyes?" said Mr. Salazar.

All taxis used to have one basic meter design until 2007, when the TLC mandated new meters to accommodate TVs in the back, a credit card reader, a text message box in the front and GPS-tracking software on the meter.  Three technology vendors were awarded a contract to outfit all 12,237 taxis with the new technology package.  "The meters are overloaded.  The buttons are tiny and in the night time, you have to struggle just to see them," said 30-year veteran Beresford Simmons.  "Because the vendors aren't TLC licensees, we can't even file complaints against them when we have a problem or take them to court when we lose time because the system breaks down.

Mr. Simmons showed a photo taken of his text message box which displayed an alert of a system-wide failure of the credit card readers of over 3,000 cabs outfitted by one company.  "(The message) said don't bother coming to the garage or calling the company, they're closed.  The passenger doesn't know it's not our fault.  But if (a rider) complained that night that a driver refused to take credit card, the TLC would fine the driver," he added.  "Every time there's been a problem, the TLC puts the blame on the cab driver." 

Drivers said the only real solution is to bring back old meters.  "The old system was 1-2-3, start, stop and print," said driver Mohammad Ahmed. "If the city doesn't admit that there is a real problem with the design, operation and data collection of these GPS-meters, the problems will continue," said Ms. Desai. "Chairman Daus is already leaving.  He has nothing to lose here.  It's our jobs and the riders' money that's on the line.  The TLC should get rid of this system and bring back something simpler and more reliable," added Mr. Simmons.

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