To: New York City Black Car, Limousine & Livery Industry
Subject: NY TLC Regulation of the Black Car Industry
The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (NYTLC) approved in April 2008 N.Y. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's plan for the "greening" of the black car industry by 2013. The plan to improve the fuel efficiency of the 10,000 black car fleet was envisioned as part of the Mayor's PlaNYC 2030 (comprehensive set of initiatives aimed at decreasing New York City's carbon emissions and meeting the challenges of the city's increasing population).
The NYTLC adopted the following regulations (TLC Rules & Regulations Chapter 6 – For-Hire Vehicles):
§6-09 Black Car Vehicle Specifications.
(a) Beginning on January 1, 2009, no vehicle that is the subject of a new application for a for-hire vehicle permit shall be affiliated with a black car base unless the for-hire vehicle meets either the requirements of an accessible vehicle pursuant to section 6-07(f) of this chapter or section 3-03.2 of this title, or has a minimum city rating of twenty-five (25) miles per gallon as labeled pursuant to title 49, section 32908 of the United States Code and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. For purposes of this subdivision, an application for a for-hire vehicle permit after a previous permit has expired will be considered a new application. For-hire vehicles that are affiliated with luxury limousine or livery bases are not subject to the requirements of this subdivision.
(b) Beginning on January 1, 2010, no vehicle that is the subject of a new application for a for-hire vehicle permit shall be affiliated with a black car base unless the for-hire vehicle meets either the requirements of an accessible vehicle pursuant to section 6-07(f) of this chapter or section 3-03.2 of this title, or has a minimum city rating of thirty (30) miles per gallon as labeled pursuant to title 49, section 32908 of the United States code and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. For purposes of this subdivision, an application for a for-hire vehicle permit after a previous permit has expired will be considered a new application. For-hire vehicles that are affiliated with luxury limousine or livery bases are not subject to the requirements of this subdivision.
(c) Only black car bases may dispatch vehicles to do line work and only for-hire vehicles that are affiliated with black car bases may perform line work.
§6-10 Affiliation with Black Car Bases.
(a) All for-hire vehicles affiliated with black car bases that are model year 2001 or earlier must be retired from black car service no later than the expiration dates of their for-hire vehicle permits on and after January 1, 2009.
(b) All for-hire vehicles affiliated with black car bases that are model year 2003 or earlier must be retired from black car service no later than the expiration dates of their for-hire vehicle permits on and after January 1, 2010.
(c) All for-hire vehicles affiliated with black car bases that are model year 2005 or earlier must be retired from black car service no later than the expiration dates of their for-hire vehicle permits on and after January 1, 2011.
(d) All for-hire vehicles affiliated with black car bases that are model year 2006 or earlier must be retired from black car service no later than the expiration dates of their for-hire vehicle permits on and after January 1, 2012; provided, however, a for-hire vehicle that is five model years old upon its permit expiration on and after January 1, 2012, shall not be affiliated with a black car base after one year following such renewal.
(e) All for-hire vehicles affiliated with black car bases that are six (6) model years old or older and are not specified in subdivisions (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this section must be retired from black car service no later than the expiration dates of their for-hire vehicle permits on and after January 1, 2013 and every year thereafter; provided that a for hire vehicle that is five model years old upon its permit renewal on or after January 1, 2013 shall not be affiliated with a black car base after one year following such renewal.
(f) A for-hire vehicle affiliated with a black car base which has reached its retirement date must be retired from black car service, regardless of whether it passes the New York State Department of Motor Vehicle inspection.
What does this mean for Black Car Operators?
The impact of these regulations has created confusion in the industry, including a perception that Black Car Operators must immediately purchase hybrid vehicles to comply. This is not the case. Black Car operators typically purchase used Lincoln Town Cars for their fleets as the Lincoln Town Car is the premier vehicle choice of the chauffeur driven transportation industry. While the new regulations take effect beginning on 1/1/09, this does not mean that Black Car operators must immediately retire every Lincoln Town Car in their fleet. On or after 1/1/09, Operators have until the date of their for-hire vehicle permit expiration to retire their 2001 model and older Town Cars. Moreover, Black Car operators can continue to use newer model used Town Cars to comply with the new regulations. Black Car Operators who purchase a newer model used Town Car before 1/1/09 can continue to use the vehicle in their fleet until 2012 or 2013, depending on the model year. For example, the new regulations allow a 2005 vehicle purchased prior to 1/1/09 to remain in service until 2011 and a 2006 vehicle purchased prior to 1/1/09 to remain in service until 2012. In summary, there is no need to make any immediate purchases of hybrids because Black Car operators can continue to use newer model used Town Cars for several years, as long as they are purchased prior to 1/1/09.
Ford Fleet Limousine & Livery Vehicles remains committed to the limousine & livery industry.
Doug Walczak
Limousine & Livery Manager
North American Fleet, Leasing & Remarketing Operations
Ford Motor Co.
Print | posted on Friday, July 25, 2008 9:25 AM