City Using Red Light Camera Info on Taxi Drivers

As part of the effort to keep tabs on cab driver performance, the city now receives monthly reports about red light camera tickets issued to those seeking license renewal.

It’s the latest development in a new reporting procedure the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection says dramatically enhances its ability to track and remove dangerous drivers from getting behind the wheel of cabs.

For several months, BACP has worked to arrange regular delivery of information allowing it to monitor taxi drivers, including red light camera data, provided by the Department of Revenue, to determine if a driver is following the rules of the road to assure the safety of passengers and pedestrians.

BACP evaluates a driver’s record for violations, red light tickets and 311 complaints to determine license eligibility. It also receives regular reports, including:

— Police Department arrests, warrants, and violations involving cab drivers.

— A Secretary of State report verifying the status of state licenses.

— Increased data from 311 as a result of the “call 311” campaign to report bad drivers.

“Access to this data allows us to take action when a driver is a threat to the roads as well as spot trends in drivers with increasing violations before problems happen”, BACP Commissioner Rosemary Krimbel said.

Without current police data, BACP could be unaware of a driver convicted of a DUI until the driver came in for an annual license renewal, the release said.

BACP is also preparing for the new taxi ordinance to take effect on July.

The riding public will notice a few changes on July 1:

— The flag pull has increased from $2.25 to $3.25. This replaces the previous $1.00 add-on for a fuel surcharge. The increase is now permanent and no longer subject to gas prices.

— A new taxi placard will be placed in every city taxi with fare information including the newly added $50 fee for vomit clean-up and customer’s rights.