A new program is helping veterans find jobs as taxi drivers in New York City.
Vets Drive Yellow NYC connects taxi garage owners with veterans who are returning home or looking for a second job while active or on reserve duty.
The seven taxi garages that are affiliated with the program help vets by paying for their hack license, which expedites the process.
Vets can work part-time or full-time as taxi drivers, and can choose daily or weekly shifts with different shift hours. More than 40 veterans have enrolled in the program so far.
For Peter Lloyd, who returned to the U.S. after two tours in Iraq, the program has been crucial in reestablishing his life as a civilian. He said it's the first of its kind he ever encountered -- and he believes veterans like himself are the perfect candidates for the job.
"A veteran is going to be able to maintain his cool and get the job done no matter what the obstacle," Lloyd said, adding that his experience navigating a Humvee around Baghdad qualifies him to sit behind the wheel.
Daniella Itin, a Chelsea woman who is married to a veteran and has worked in the city's taxi industry for 13 years, created the program. She agrees with Lloyd's sentiment that veterans are uniquely qualified to drive New Yorkers around the city's congested streets.
"The passenger is not only going to have an American hero driving them around but they're also going to feel safer," Itin said.
To sign up, click here.
