New Yorks Taxi and Limousine Commission apply the brakes and suspend fees to help cabbies
After a spate of suicide by cabbies in New York, Meera Joshi, head of the Taxi and Limousine Commission has announced a suspension on taxi medallion holders fees, amounting to $20 million.
The move is in response to the mounting criticism being aimed at the commission over the handling of the issues which has seen seven deaths, including one livery driver.
The New York Post has reported that this is a short term measure, designed to give New York's 11,286 taxi drivers some "breathing space."
Councilman Mark Levine who has been looking to formulate a long term strategy, which will include changes in legislation, has asked for the short term break to help the struggling cabbies.
Bhairavi Desai, head of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, has welcomed the move.
Between November 2017 and September 2018, Alfredo Perez, Danilo Corporan Castillo, 57, Douglas Schifter, 61, Nicanor Ochisor, 65, Kenny Chow, 56, Abdul Saleh, 59 and Fausto Luna, 58, all committed suicide after falling into hardship due to the arrival of ride-hailing companies devaluing the taxi medallion.