Neue Entwicklungen in New York !

  • Unsere Schwestern und Brüder in New York gehen gerade durch eine Phase von großen Änderungen.
    Da wir von ihnen viel lernen können und müssen, sollten alle das intensiv lesen.
    Leider kann ich nicht das Ganze übersetzen, aber ich denke mir mal so, daß die wirklich Interessierten können wahrscheinlich genügend Englisch, um den beitrag lesen zu können.


    Commissioners Corner – March
    Posted: 01 Mar 2011 06:35 PM PST


    It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this month’s column is about Mayor Bloomberg’s recently announced Five Borough Taxi Plan (5BTP) - the plan to allow appropriately-licensed and equipped livery cars (“borough taxis”) to accept street hails outside Manhattan.


    If you don’t know the details of the plan, here they are: borough taxis would be equipped like yellow taxis – they’d be painted a distinct color (not yellow), they’d have a roof light to signal availability, and they’d be equipped with a meter and credit card reader - and they’d be permitted to pick up street hails outside Manhattan, just as yellow taxis now serve Manhattan.


    Yellow taxis would still have the right to pick up street hails anywhere in the five boroughs and the airports, though to be frank, very few leave Manhattan today. You’ve probably heard the statistics many times already: 97% of yellow taxi trips originate in Manhattan and the airports, even though 80% of the City’s residents live in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. And this actually makes perfect economic sense.


    All of which results in underserved demand outside Manhattan. I say underserved, but it’s more precise to say inadequately-served because, as you know, some of this demand is currently met by illegal livery pickups. And for those folks who are turned off by the “sketchy” nature of licensed or unlicensed livery pickups – a particular deterrent for women - there is no street hail option outside Manhattan. The cars often lack adequate insurance, and many drivers lack the proper license. The cars also lack meters, and passengers are required to negotiate the fare on the spot. People unfamiliar with the “going rate” in a particular neighborhood often get ripped off, and even experienced passengers generally find haggling unpleasant - so much so that many people simply refuse to hail gypsy cabs in order to avoid it. Needless to say, this is unsustainable and this plan addresses it.


    Change is hard.


    I have already heard significant concern from many in the industry who are concerned about the impact on their bottom line. That’s understandable. Change is never easy, and is often risky. But I am convinced this is change for the better, and I hope the TLC’s industry partners will ultimately agree.


    When hybrid taxis first came on the scene, there was tremendous opposition from almost every quarter of the industry. There were claims from these same fleet owners that these cars wouldn’t be able to handle the unique New York City terrain and the extreme demands placed on taxis; that drivers wouldn’t like them because they wouldn’t ride as smoothly as the Crown Vics; and that passengers wouldn’t like them because they weren’t as spacious. Today, over a third of the fleet has voluntarily opted for hybrid taxis.


    The same happened with TPEP. Tremendous opposition to something new/different was followed by gradual acceptance and, eventually, widespread adoption. In fact, the most recent data suggests that credit card usage represents almost 50% of all taxi fares, with credit card tips averaging 19% (a nice premium over the typical cash tip). It’s a technology that makes for happier (and more) passengers, which makes for more successful drivers.


    And I believe the same will be the case with borough taxis. It’s the right thing to do and it’s the smart thing to do. And even though the taxi fleets will sue and lobby hard to protect their $850,000 medallions, as always, in the end, what’s good for the customer is good for drivers, and what’s good for drivers is good for the industry.


    Some dial-a-car companies have also expressed concern that they will lose business if non-Manhattanites gain access to legitimate taxi service. I agree that car service companies generally provide excellent service, and we want to minimize disruption to that sector of the industry – but ultimately, the customer must come first. Smart businesspeople should be able to turn the new rules into an opportunity, by expanding their business to provide both dial-ahead and street hail service. And our rules will ensure that traditional car service companies can continue to do business just as they do today if that is their preference it will be up to them whether to offer street hail service or not.


    It’s the enforcement!


    In conversations with fleet owners and drivers’ representatives, one thing has become crystal clear - much of the opposition to borough taxis has nothing to do with the outer boroughs. It’s all about Manhattan and the perceived threat to the exclusive yellow right to street hails there. The fear is that if these borough taxis are seen as legitimate street hail vehicles outside Manhattan, what’s to stop them from picking up street hails on 23rd and Avenue of the Americas? The answer - plain and simple - is increased enforcement. A central component of 5BTP is increased enforcement, utilizing more cops on the street with better technology in their hands, and the use of GPS locators in borough taxis to ensure they are where they’re supposed to be. And the licensing fees for borough taxis are what will pay for that increased enforcement.


    All of this will involve a major change to our rules and the way the industry works. And we won’t be able to implement this overnight. I believe there’s lots of room for input and discussion and I look forward to working with industry stakeholders to implement it in the best way possible. Please send me your thoughts at TLCCommissioner@tlc.nyc.gov.

    JEDER meiner Beiträge stellt IMMER MEINE PERSÖNLICHE MEINUNG dar!
    Diese kann sich mit der Vorlage neuer Dokumente ändern!

  • Hier die neue Commissioners Corner aus New York.
    Spannend sind die geplanten höheren Strafen für Fahrer, die Touren in die Außenbezirke ablehnen, aus welchen Gründen auch immer.
    Und auch über die NEW YORK GOES GREEN gibt es was Neues zu lesen!


    Yellow Cab NYC
    Commissioners Corner – April
    Posted: 01 Apr 2011 07:00 PM PDT


    This month, Mayor Bloomberg and I announced the Bloomberg Administration’s efforts to work with the City Council to seek enhanced penalties for proven incidences of service refusal.


    At the press conference, we showed several video highlights of undercover operations we had done, which illustrated, among other things, on-duty drivers asking for destinations prior to passengers getting in and then peeling off at high speed, and drivers flipping on the off-duty light in mid-conversation with hailing passengers. The video attendees found most interesting was one in which a passenger hails a driver on Broadway near Wall Street for a trip to Brooklyn, and he claims that he does not know where the Brooklyn Bridge is before screeching off, blowing a red light and nearly hitting a pedestrian in the crosswalk.


    Part of me wants to say these videos captured aberrations; just exceptions to what’s really going on out there in the streets, but we all know that’s simply not the case. Refusals are happening, and they’re happening with alarming regularity, as though they were simply the manner in which business is done, and that’s just not acceptable. We’ve written columns about the problem, we’ve distributed notices, we’ve addressed drivers’ meetings and we’ve spoken to reporters who’ve written stories ad nauseum about the problem, and it just hasn’t had the necessary effect. How do we know it’s happening? There are historically peaks and valleys when it comes to complaints, but when passengers take the time to call 311 and tell us they’ve been refused between the months of July 2010 and February 2011 at a rate that 36% higher than the same period a year earlier, it’s significant, and it’s serious.


    So here we are talking about enhanced penalties. In fact, unlike most TLC rule violation, the penalties for service refusals are set by Local Law, which is a part of the City’s Administrative Code, meaning that changing them requires legislation from the City Council. I am pleased to report that Council Transportation Committee Chair James Vacca and many of his colleagues are equally intolerant of service refusals, and are therefore supportive of this Bloomberg initiative to create a higher level of disincentive. As a result, we’re feeling very confident that it will be passed into law.


    All the aforementioned having been said, I do just feel compelled to say the following. There are those who say, “The TLC just wants to write more summonses and make more money from these new penalties.” To that I say balderdash. In fact, nothing would make us happier than to see the proposed higher penalties drive down the number of refusals. This is a pervasive problem that has plagued this city and the taxi industry for decades…..a bruise to the industry’s reputation at a time when goodwill is crucial to its wellbeing. Let’s prove the naysayers wrong……help us show how happy we can be when the service refusal problem is finally retired, once and for all.


    I also wanted to take a moment to mention some really good news to the readers of this column. You may recall that several years ago, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Jerrold Nadler joined Mayor Bloomberg and the TLC in the fight for greener, more fuel efficient taxicabs by introducing the Green Taxis Act, a law created to update outdated federal statutes that were created to clean our air, but actually prevented us from doing just that. Not only because we all have to breathe the air in this city and protect our children from asthma, but also to protect all the taxi drivers who have had to live with the decisions of fleet operators who have no stake in fuel efficiency. In other words, they’re not the ones buying fuel…..YOU are. Unfortunately, for various reasons, the Green Taxis Act was stalled in Congress.


    A hopeful update to this is that, a few short days ago, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Gillibrand, Rep. Nadler and I stood in the plaza of City Hall to proudly announce that the Green Taxis Act lives again. As of the date by which I write these words, the Green Taxis Act legislation will have been reintroduced, kindling hope throughout the country for a cleaner, healthier environment, and a more cost-effective taxi solution.


    While the recent litigation continues to prevent the TLC from building fuel efficiency standards into the Taxi of Tomorrow project, my message today is one of hope. There is a cleaner, healthier, smarter taxi industry on the horizon…..we deserve it, for sure, but more importantly, our children deserve it.

    JEDER meiner Beiträge stellt IMMER MEINE PERSÖNLICHE MEINUNG dar!
    Diese kann sich mit der Vorlage neuer Dokumente ändern!

  • Ist in New York aber schwieriger als hier, da jeder Fahrgast seine Fahrt auf einem Bildschirm hintem im Wagen nachvollziehen kann. Auf einer Karte kann er jederzeit feststellen, wo er ist.
    Man sollte als Touri in einer fremden Stadt aber auch wenigstens ein paar ganz kleine Grundkenntnisse von ihr haben.

    JEDER meiner Beiträge stellt IMMER MEINE PERSÖNLICHE MEINUNG dar!
    Diese kann sich mit der Vorlage neuer Dokumente ändern!

  • Der Wert von Taxi-Lizenzen in New York City steigt seit Jahren, gemessen von 1980 bis 2011 um rund acht Prozent pro Jahr.
    Das sind zur Zeit etwa bis zu 687.000 US-Dollar für eine Taxi-Lizenz: Einen ähnlichen Wertzuwachs konnten weder Immobilien, noch Aktien oder der Goldpreis verzeichnen.
    Zahlten Interessenten im Jahr 1947 noch etwa 2500 US-Dollar für das "individual medallion" - einer kleinen Aluminium-Platte, die auf jedem Taxi angebracht sein muss -
    sind es im Juli 2011 bis zu 678.000 US-Dollar gewesen.
    Der Grund: Die Lizenzen sind streng limitiert. Gleichzeitig sei die Nachfrage groß, erklärte Andrew Murstein, Vorsitzender des Medallion Financial Corp (TAXI), einem Unternehmen,
    das Kredite zum Erwerb von Taxilizenzen bereitstellt, gegenüber Bloomberg. Insbesondere Einwanderer würden in der Taxi-Lizenz den entscheidenden Schritt in ein neues Leben sehen.


    Schließlich sind die gelben Fahrzeuge in New York sehr gefragt. 240 Millionen Fahrgäste beförderten Taxen im „Big Apple“ pro Jahr.


    Eine ähnliche Preisentwicklung bei Taxi-Lizenzen gibt es in Hongkong: Auch hier sind Genehmigungen zur Personenbeförderung der Renner.
    Bis zu einer halben Million Euro sollen Interessenten dafür aufbringen müssen. Und die Preise steigen weiter.


    Quelle : facebook, wiwo.de und finianz.de

  • Die Umsätze eines NYC Yellow Cabs sind in etwa mit den unsrigen vergleichbar, das heisst, der NYC Cab Driver ist genau so ein armes Schwein wie der aus Hamburg. Die Fahrer sind Schwarze, Pakistani usw, es kommt einem irgendwie bekannt vor. Die Taxilizenz behindert den Eintritt neuer Unternehmer ins Geschäft und sorgt so eventuell für hübsche Gewinne auf Seiten der Lizenzinhaber. Und wenns nicht so läuft, kann der Betreiber des Taxis noch hoffen, die Lizenz zu einem guten Preis wieder loszuwerden. Die Taxikonzession als Spekulationsobjekt, es ist überall dieselbe Wixxe von der nur einige wenige (und ganz bestimmt nicht die Fahrer) profitieren. Und das ist in deutschen Städten, in denen Konzessionsbegrenzungen existieren, nicht anders.

  • Du sagst wohl wie es ist.Ein Handel mit Lizenzen hat hier auch grade noch gefehlt.Was ich nicht genau weiss, ist die
    Taxilizenz namentlich an den Unternehmer gebunden? Die Lizenz kann hier als solches ja nicht versilbert werden, meine ich.
    Wäre in dem Sinne auch nur in der Höhe der amtlichen Gebühr wert. Dennoch kann man sein Taxiunternehmen im Ganzen doch
    verkaufen, dazu gehören dann selbstverständlich die Lizenzen als Grundlage des Betriebes mit Taxiverkehr.
    Beispielsweise - im Falle des Genossenschaftsanteils eines Taxis beim Hansa etwa - wäre eine Lizenz dann wohl 30.000 Euro wert,
    so wie hier: Taxilizenz.Bei DT hingegen müsste man noch was draufgelegt bekommen,
    damit man eine Lizenz abnimmt.
    In New York möchte ich auch nicht Taxi fahren müssen, obwohl dort das Einwohnerverhältnis besser ist.Ist allerdings mit hier auch
    gar nicht vergleichbar, denn die soziale Bodenlosigkeit in die man dort fallen kann ist noch ungleich größer als hier.

  • Na, als Unternehmenswert, den es zu ermitteln gilt bei einer Verkaufsabsicht etwa, zählen doch wohl alle Betriebsaktiva.
    Nicht mehr und nicht weniger wollte ich damit zum Ausdruck bringen.

  • @Habenichts


    Der Konzessionshandel ist hierzulande verboten. Wenn ich also 20000 € für meine Konzession haben will, musst du mir eben 25000 € geben, dafür kriegst du noch einen ausgelutschten Touran als Beigabe und das ganze kann dann Betriebsverkauf genannt werden.


    Angesichts der Marktsituation in Hamburg kann man natürlich einen Hansa-Genossenschaftsanteil auch als Konzession ("zum Gelddrucken" haha) betrachten. Als Spekulationsobjekt würde ich mir heutzutage einen Hansa-Anteil nicht zulegen. Das Umfeld ist nicht mehr so kaputt wie früher, die Risiken steigen (Grindelhof, myTaxi, Fikaltaxametr, P-Scheinprüfung ...)

  • Mit nem alten Touran lockst Du mich aber nicht in die Falle.Die Kiste ist so laut wie die
    Holzklasse früher in der Deutschen Bundesbahn.