LPEP Updates
Proposed Rules: Closed to Comments
Taxi and Limousine Commission
Statement of Basis and Purpose of Proposed Rule
On December 23, 2011 Governor Cuomo signed into law chapter 602 of the Laws of 2011, and on February 17, 2012, signed into law chapter 9 of the Laws of 2012 (the “Act”), which amended the previous statute. This legislation allows New York City to issue up to 18,000 transferable licenses to for-hire vehicles authorizing them to pick up passengers by street hail anywhere outside Manhattan (except for the airports) and in Manhattan north of West 110th Street and north of East 96th Street. Up to 6,000 of these licenses for Street Hail Liveries can be issued in the first year of the program. Twenty percent of these licenses will be set aside for wheelchair accessible vehicles (City subsidies for accessible vehicle purchase/upgrades will be available).
These proposed rules implement the Act by modifying requirements for the Livery Passenger Enhancement Program (“LPEP”), equipment required to be present in Street Hail Liveries. They reflect the Commission’s experience with recently promulgated rules regarding the similar Taxicab Passenger Enhancement Program (TPEP) equipment contained in taxicabs.
The proposed amendments to Chapter 83 make the following changes and clarifications:
- Changes to Acceptance Testing requirements.
- Changes to insurance documentation required
- Changes to reporting requirements
- Changes to notice requirements.
- Clarify the LPEP Provider’s responsibility for the acts of employees and agents.
- Changes to information required to be displayed on the passenger information monitor.
- Changes to advertising requirements relating to commercial advertising on the passenger information monitor.
- Changes to the technical text messaging and Trip Data requirements to align them with the more recently passed TPEP rule.
- Clarifications to driver log in requirements.
- Addition of accessibility features
The Commission’s authority for this rule-making is found in the Act and Section 2300 of the NYC Charter and Section 19-503 of the NYC Administrative Code.