TLC Requests Information Related To City Council Proposal On Black Boxes For Taxis
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- As New York City explores ways to curb the speed of taxis, the Taxi and Limousine Commission has requested information on anti-speeding vehicle technologies.
Last week City Councilman Jimmy Vacca introduced a plan to track New York City cabs, in an effort to curb speeding and other dangerous driving habits.
The plan includes outfitting taxis with the same type of technology that records data in planes and trains. The boxes would report the taxis speed back to the TLC, as well as other movement and sudden stops.
Vacca's proposal is just for a pilot program to see what the black box technology can do. It would not include any enforcement or penalties for drivers.
In response to the proposal, the TLC said anti-speeding devices could be tested on a pilot basis but would not necessarily result in any contracts.
On Wednesday, Ashwini Chopra, the deputy commissioner for police and planning for TLC, told 1010 WINS the organization is still in the early stages of collecting data on the proposal.
"This is just the very beginning of the process. So, we put out this week a request for information. Which really is our way of finding out and learning about the technology from the companies or fleets or people who have used these technologies," he said.
Chopra said the information request will allow the TLC to gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of the technology.
"To learn more about how they work, what the challenges of using them are, and the effectiveness of them," he said.
The TLC could know by this summer whether or not they will use any of the technologies available and if so, how they would use them, Chopra said.
There was no word on how much the black boxes in Vacca's City Council measure would cost; the pilot program would determine that as well.
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