Livery Cab Hailing Plan Axed

Poor Mayor Bloomberg.

He finally had to admit his appointment of Cathie Black as Schools Chancellor was a mistake, his approval ratings are tanking, and now his plan to legalize hailing livery cabs has been shelved.

The plan was attacked by yellow cab drivers who feared the proposal would hurt their business.

From New York Times:

Instead, the city is weighing a proposal to create a class of yellow cabs that would be prohibited from picking up passengers in most of Manhattan, the taxicabs’ traditional territory, but would be able to do so in other parts of the city, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

Under the plan, which is being made final, new medallions would be issued for the restricted cabs. The medallions would be sold for a small fee, or, in one version of the plan, at no cost. Regular medallions, which bestow the right to pick up passengers on any city street, are typically sold at auction and can be worth nearly $1 million.

The question remains whether killing Bloomberg's original proposal will have any real effect on the very common practice of hailing black cabs, especially in the outer boroughs.