New Cabbie Safety Regulations
The Taxi and Limousine Commission has announced plans to limit the amount of hours on the road, per day and per week. As of now drivers are able to push themselves as long as they are able to take breaks for a few minutes. These new regulations would now limit a driver to 12 hours a day and no more than 72 hours a week. However, cab drivers are up in arms because it will ultimately affect their pay especially since the demand for drivers has increased in the past few years. “A member of the Taxi Medallion Owner Driver Association, who last operated a cab a year ago, said the 72-hour weekly limit would keep cabbies who put in 12-hour days from working every day of the week, meaning fewer chances to make extra cash. A taxi driver, told police that he had been at the wheel for 16 hours that day prior to the accident killing an 88-year-old pedestrian. Others view the limits — up for a vote on July 18 — as a life-and-death issue. A relative of the 88-year-old victim, a grandmother who was hit and killed on the Upper West Side in November by a cabbie on a 16-hour shift, testified in favor of the rules.”
Along with the TLC, Uber has developed a safety feature for drivers that will remind them to take breaks and also to give them their daily driving reports. These new features aim to fight against driving drunk, distracted, drugged or drowsy. These four D’s all increase the likelihood that something dangerous could happen. “Across 11 pilot cities, Uber will be sending out reminders for drivers to take a break if they’ve been driving non-stop for too long, ensuring alert and well-rested hands on the wheel. In 2016, Uber finally began enforcing shift limits on NYC drivers, allowing them to use the app continuously for no more than 12 hours at a time.” This new upgrade will also feature the speed in which the driver is going as well as how they handle the car- i.e. acceleration, braking, turns, etc.
Drivers in NYC are faced with numerous obstacles, both on the road and in the car. By adjusting the regulations for drivers, the TLC and Uber hope to minimize the accidents and maximize the satisfaction.
Source:
NY Post
TechCrunch.com
