City Council Hearing--GPS-Meter Overcharge Scandal! See NYTWA flyer here

NY1, April 7, 2010

Former TLC Head Defends Taxi Scam Numbers

By: Bobby Cuza

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.

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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.

They didn't. Nice work, Mr. Daus.

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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.

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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

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