COMET: Communities of Maspeth & Elmhurst Together
  • About Us
  • Next Meeting
  • Issues
  • Newsletter
  • Useful Links
  • Local News
  • Join/Contact Us

Crowley introduces 'illegal commuter van' bill

7/30/2010

 
From an article in the NY Times:

City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley of Queens will introduce a bill Thursday requiring the Taxi and Limousine Commission to train police officers to identify illegal commuter vans so that they single out the right vehicles and drivers when they set out to enforce their operation.

The commission would also have to create a guide summarizing the many cumbersome regulations that licensed van drivers must abide by -– from the types of licenses they must have to where they are allowed to circulate and the kinds of violations they might face.

The bill (see here [pdf] and below)comes at a time when the city is trying to rein in the commuter-van industry, which offers the closest alternative to a public transportation system in neighborhoods where bus or subway service is limited or nonexistent. Vans have operated with little oversight in recent years, fostering cut-throat competition among legal and illegal drivers that has had them bend the rules of traffic and official regulations as they battle it out for fares.

Ms. Crowley said that complaints against illegal vans have ranked high among the issues she had heard from constituents since taking office last year. The problem seems particularly grave in Maspeth, Queens, she said, where commuter vans are not allowed to circulate, but do so anyway, mostly without a license.

“I look at it mostly as a public safety issue,” she said. “Many of these vans are operating dangerously and illegally. If they want to continue to do what they’re doing, they have to abide by the law or else face the consequences.”

Comments are closed.

    Welcome to COMET's blog!

    Here you will find stories from our latest newsletter as well as interim posts about topics of interest.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009

    RSS Feed

Photos by Steve Garza