Dozens of yellow cabs from New York City are lining the streets around the state Capitol as cabbies rally against legislation they say would let livery drivers legally pick up passengers who hail them in the city's four outer boroughs and northern Manhattan.
Drivers who own taxi medallions or rent cabs from medallion owners say they'll lose money along with the exclusive legal right to "street hails" in the city.
In a sponsors' memo, Bronx Assemblyman Carl Heastie says the goal is reaching underserved areas and making travel in the city more affordable. The measure would authorize 1,500 more cab licenses, with more than one-third handicapped-accessible, up to 30,000 hail privilege permits to for-hire vehicles, and 450 permits for base stations.
Medallion drivers say lax enforcement already lets livery drivers illegally scoop fares.
