New York Daily News:
New livery cab law in outer boroughs finally makes New Yorkers out of 'bridge people'The so-called "bridge people" - New Yorkers who, like me, live in the outer boroughs and upper Manhattan - have high hopes of finally feeling a little less like second-class citizens.
That's because for the first time we will be able to legally hail a livery cab.
But only if Gov. Cuomo signs into law a bill that, after months of debate, was approved by the Legislature last week legalizing street hails for livery cabs. Cuomo hasn't taken a position on this issue yet.
"I applaud the New York State Legislature for passing this bill," said Councilman Ydanis RodrÃguez (D-upper Manhattan).
"This is a win-win situation as people who have the financial resources to buy a [yellow cab] medallion will be able to do so, and our working-class livery taxi drivers, who have provided much needed services to this city for decades, will now for the first time in history be allowed to legally respond to street hails."
As the law now stands, only yellow cabs are authorized to pick up passengers on the street, because allowing livery cabs to do the same would, supposedly, take business away from yellow cabs.
To get a livery cab, you have to call the livery company (or base), then a dispatcher contacts a driver, who then picks you up. Imagine Manhattanites doing all this to get a cab.
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