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The change is the
result of a new law that Mayor Bill DeBlasio signed in April and
went into effect on Friday eliminating the English proficiency
exam for taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers.
It is the latest big change for cab drivers as policymakers and
regulators try to adapt the city's requirements to demographic
and technological changes. The legislation created a single
license for all taxicab and for-hire vehicles and eliminated the
English language proficiency test, according to a New York City
Council website.
The Council described the requirement as "a significant barrier
to entry to driving a taxi" in a statement announcing the bill
and other related legislation in January.
New York is home to nearly 144,000 active drivers of medallion
cabs, livery cars and other for-hire vehicles, according to a
2016 report from the Taxi and Limousine Commission. Over 90
percent of those drivers are born outside the United States.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission is working with the Mayor's
office on a potential education program that would include
English language vocabulary for drivers, a spokeswoman for
Commission said.
The new law was part of a broader legislative package that also
included a bill to require the Taxi and Limousine Commission to
directly administer a health care services program.
(Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
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