New cars must be either zero-emission or accessible; all zero emission by ’30 TLC FHV cap lifted — but with a catch

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

Mayor Adams last week praised the decision of the Taxi and Limousine Commission to lift the cap on for-hire vehicle licenses in the city for cars that are either zero-emission or handicap accessible.

But a union that represents FHV drivers has expressed some major concerns; and one representing yellow and green taxi drivers — they are not eligible — is livid.

The Green Rides initiative, approved last week by the TLC, will require every for-hire vehicle in the city to either put off zero emissions or be accessible by 2030. According to the mayor and TLC Commissioner David Do, the incentive also will allow individual drivers to be their own bosses in the event they would prefer not to lease vehicles from large companies.

“Green Rides is going to transform our city for the better,” Do said in a transcript of the Oct. 18 press conference provided by the Mayor’s Office. “It will remove 600,000 metric tons of carbon emissions from the air that we and our children breathe.”

“It means easier accessibility for our brothers and sisters in wheelchairs, and a cleaner, greener city for every single New Yorker,” Adams said. “But we’re not stopping there. Starting tomorrow morning, we are super charging our goal with the release of new TLC licenses for electric vehicles — or, EV — drivers. That means anyone with an electric vehicle can put in an application to be a ride share driver, put even more New Yorkers on the road to opportunity, jobs, employment, economic possibilities but doing it in a clean way.”

And, Do said, individual car owners can realize some green of their own.

“What that means is that now drivers are not going to be beholden to a predatory lease, now they can own their own small business and then they can also have a pathway to the middle class, that you know, that vehicles are important, and if you’re putting 300-plus dollars towards a weekly lease, that’s money out of your pocket,” he said. “And so we want to put more money into driver’s pockets.”

New electric vehicles can start north of $50,000, and various sources checked by the Chronicle said the expected lifespan of FHVs can be either side of seven years. Those are all or mostly gasoline powered, however.

Do said the target date of 2030 will allow drivers to switch over to new vehicles in their own time.

The Independent Drivers Guild represents more than 80,000 Uber and Lyft drivers in New York City. In a press release on

Oct. 18, union President Brendan Sexton said the expansion of licenses is badly needed, but that he has concerns over affordability and feasibility for drivers.

“We all support a cleaner future for New York, but it cannot be funded on the backs of our city’s hardworking Uber and Lyft drivers,” Sexton said. “Before any mandates on Uber and Lyft drivers take effect, the city must ensure that there are enough charging stations with restrooms throughout the five boroughs — and that there will be no added costs for drivers, as the Mayor promised.”

The New York Taxi Workers Alliance, which represents yellow, green and FHV drivers, vented on Twitter, aka X, Oct. 18.

“[The TLC] is breaking a life-saving cap set in place after drivers died by suicide from despair caused by oversaturation of cars + at a time when @MTA is looking to reduce congestion and car pollutants,” the NYTWA said. “It’s going to crush especially Uber and Lyft drivers. The city is addressing climate change by flooding the streets with more cars — make it make sense! — and by selling out drivers! Neither is acceptable!

The NYTWA’s solution is to keep the cap in place and mandate conversion to EVs when drivers buy new cars.

“Replace not add cars — and uplift not impoverish drivers!” Q

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