| Author | Topic |
Moderator
(40 Posts)
10/11/2011 4:40:12 PM
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NYC Taxi with NO OFF-DUTY Light ?, Drivers Please answer the questions
To All Interested Parties: Industry Notice #11-25 October 11, 2011
For Immediate Release
Request for Input on
Yellow Taxicab Roof Lights The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is interested in receiving input from the taxicab industry on the taxi roof light. TODAY Right now, taxicab roof lights have two separate lights: (1) the medallion number, and (2) the “off-duty” sign. Depending on the taxicab status, these lights are displayed in one of four combinations:| Message to Potential Passengers | Medallion Number | Off-Duty Light |
|---|
| On-duty and available | ON | OFF | | On-duty but unavailable (already has passenger inside) | OFF | OFF | | Off-duty and occupied by passenger (on a "going my way" trip) | OFF | ON | | Off-duty but maybe can take you (available for "going my way" trip) | ON | ON |
Although some passengers understand the lighting system, others (especially visitors) are confused by it. Some passengers mistakenly look for any illumination on the roof light and think this means the taxi is available. Especially from far away, some passengers think it is hard to see whether the taxi is off-duty or if it is available.
What results is that some passengers repeatedly try to hail off-duty taxis. Making it easy for all passengers to know when a taxi is available for a hail and when it is unavailable would improve customers' experience with taxis and could reduce misunderstandings between drivers and passengers.
Other Cities: The Single-Light System Taxis in some other cities have slightly different roof light systems. In these systems, there is no off-duty light. When the light is on, the taxi is available for hail. When the light is off, the taxi already has a passenger or the driver is off-duty. The reason it is not available does not matter for the light. London taxis use a single-light system.
London Taxi Photo by Aimee Daniells
PROPOSAL: If New York City were to pursue a single-light solution, it could design a light similar to that found in London except that the word "taxi" would, most likely, be replaced with the medallion number. There would no longer be an "off-duty" light. The proposed lighting system could be:
| Message to Potential Passengers | Medallion Number Light Only |
|---|
| Available | ON | | Unavailable | OFF |
What Do You Think?
- Do you think NYC taxis should move to the single-light system? Why or why not?
- Do you have an idea for another option besides the proposal and the current light system?
- How important is the "going my way" policy to you? If you are a taxi driver, what percentage of time do you pick up a passenger while you are off-duty at the end of your shift?
- Is there any reason the off-duty light is important to you besides the "going my way policy?" What problems, if any, would occur without an off-duty light?
- Besides the roof light, is there another method you can think of for letting passengers know you're available for a "going my way" trip?
Please submit your answers at www.surveymonkey.com/s/rooflight:
or
Dawn Miller
33 Beaver Street, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10004
Please submit all responses by November 11, 2011.
Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences and ideas with the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. We look forward to reading your responses as we research this issue. |
Moderator
(40 Posts)
10/11/2011 4:46:13 PM
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Re: NYC Taxi with NO OFF-DUTY Light ?, Drivers Please answer the questions
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Stephen B.
(34 Posts)
10/15/2011 4:23:44 PM
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Re: NYC Taxi with NO OFF-DUTY Light ?, Drivers Please answer the questions
Yes, it because considerably better because all over in the world single-light system, except NYC. It is very important, because the garage, do pick let them know my Island City, "going my way" or near the Street my allows. understand, never take advantage of this. I believe off-duty light is not important. However, I would like to see a new uniformed, well visible roof-light on taxis. - It should three modes, hire must fully illuminated. Then 50 dimmed, to the cab Burn-out bulbs may cause problems! would nice warnings dash-board, when the roof-light working. |
staytune
(74 Posts)
10/15/2011 6:28:03 PM
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Re: NYC Taxi with NO OFF-DUTY Light ?, Drivers Please answer the questions
it is very nice to think about the passenger, what about the driver side? when will the fare raised? |
transmission
(31 Posts)
10/17/2011 9:13:50 AM
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Re: NYC Taxi with NO OFF-DUTY Light ?, Drivers Please answer the questions
90% of people in New York City don’t know how taxi works .they think all the money that runs on the meter goes into driver packet. we , drivers are taking risks in this business .who cares if you go homes with 20 dlrs or 0 dlrs . if you cant take one day off from your garage or loose your car to a new driver. Holidays lease stay same as regular days. when tons of snow in the street and you can not move your cab and you paid lease in advance. when you got stuck in Lincoln tunnel for two hours? Get jfk and get zero tip within rush hours. when you got a flat tire and passengers run away. when you line up at the gas station for 2 hours for gas as Bloomberg rooted out all gas stations in NYC now? when livery cars steal our money in the street? when the driver can’t pay rent in his appartment. when you have to live far away from city line?who cares? Now let talk about off duty light: 8 million people in NYC and you think all of them treat driver the same way .no one knows people better than taxi driver. The driver even can detect the possibility of criminality in your face and from your voice and the way you move your eyes. All drivers develop this kind of power within years of work. You can see all places that is not served by yellow cabs have high criminality rate. The driver has the right to refuse a passenger or go off duty when he or she not feel save, or feel he cannot do the job in good mood. Or feels tired exhausted want to eat or need bathroom ..../ in this case the driver has and must control the on duty light manually not by gps ,its a violation of human right because we are self-employed and we pay all trips to brokers and city in advance. its up to drivers to put on duty or of duty .no one has the right to control driver way of work .we know driver can not ask people where to .so it's clear now that the off duty button in an emergency works within big city when anything can happen . .example: if your gps shows Off duty within rush hours then you get a ticket. or you can not put off duty in Bronx or Brooklyn .or see the timing interval of your off duty and passenger complain .so they can fine you with 1100 dlrs.But we don’t want the TLC in the future to control drivers when they can put off duty or onduty Off duty sometime does its job when you drop off and two different guys come and fight for a cab .it happened with me when two women fight each other to death when they opened the car doors in the same time. But I said I was off duty and can not take anyone of you. people when they see you on duty they rush in to take you .you cant tell who is first .so they fight each other .it happens at night around 4 am when is too cold outside .girls scrunch each other about who is first to cab. But if you are off duty everybody is quit, is like the driver becomes the boss in this case and with off duty we avoid confrontations. And when you see tons of people want a single cab that when you put off duty to avoid fighting betweenthem. I love off duty light it gives the power to control the situation, just we need control. Thanks moderator |
staytune
(74 Posts)
11/21/2011 9:42:51 AM
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Re: NYC Taxi with NO OFF-DUTY Light ?, Drivers Please answer the questions
hey transmission, you are 100% right. in addition, I lock my doors when I have the off duty light on. most people don't care about the light , they jump in when they see the cab is empty if you stop for the redlight, |