Letter Grades for Taxi and Livery Companies: TLC Commish Receptive to It

What if taxi and livery drivers in NYC received letter grades to reflect their safety records, the same way restaurants get grades from the health department? Eric McClure of Park Slope Neighbors raised the possibility at last night’s Vision Zero town hall in Park Slope, and found a receptive audience in new TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi.

Joshi was appointed earlier this month, and last night was her first appearance at a Vision Zero Q&A session. WNYC’s Kat Aaron reports that Joshi acknowledged there are problem drivers who pose a danger to other people on the street (she called them “outliers”). She also spoke positively about the potential deterrent effect of black boxes in TLC-regulated vehicles, and said TLC is working with the City Council to make it easier to suspend drivers who cause mayhem.

McClure, who helped organize the event, asked Joshi if the TLC would consider a letter grade system so customers can be informed about drivers’ safety records. It turns out that the TLC has already been discussing something along those lines. One issue is whether the grades would be assigned to individual drivers or to the company that employs them.

Doug Gordon of Brooklyn Spoke reports that Joshi said TLC is leaning toward grading the bases, not each and every driver, “since it would incentivize them to hire safer drivers and educate the ones they already have.”