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Politics & Government

'Socially Responsible' Taxis May Be Coming to NYC

One of the finalists in the city's competition to design the next NYC yellow taxi revealed its model. But cab drivers and Prospect Heights residents were not impressed.

In the future, New York’s taxis could be roomier, greener and completely accessible to riders with disabilities.

One of the three finalists in the city’s competition to design the next generation of New York City yellow taxis recently revealed a full-scale model of its new design.  The taxi, designed by KarsanUSA, features an automated wheelchair ramp, a tinted glass ceiling and a fuel-efficient engine.

“The mayor said he wants an iconic cab that’s socially responsible,” William Wachtel, president of the Turkish automaker KarsanUSA, said at a press event earlier this month.   “And that’s what we’ve built.”

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In the coming months, the city will choose a winner of its “Taxi of Tomorrow” competition, which challenged entrants to design a more comfortable, accessible and fuel-efficient cab.  Designs by KarsanUSA, Ford and Nissan were selected last November as finalists.  The winning manufacturer will be the city’s exclusive taxi provider for at least a decade – a deal that could be worth $1 billion.

Back in Brooklyn, reactions to the potential cab of the future ranged from “That’s nice” to “Who cares?”

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“I’m certainly happy to hear that they’re more accessible to people and more fuel-efficient,” said Emily Beard, a schoolteacher who lives near Grand Army Plaza.  “But in this area, I’m normally trying to avoid getting hit by them.”

Bernice Walker, a Prospect Heights-based writer, said the proposed changes sounded fine.  But, she added, she rarely rides in any of the city’s more than 13,000 yellow taxis.

“I think they cost too much,” Walker said.  She prefers the subway or a car service when she needs it.

If KarsanUSA’s cab design is chosen, the city’s entire yellow taxi fleet would be wheelchair-accessible.  Currently, about 230 city cabs – about 2 percent of the fleet – are accessible. Around 60,000 wheelchair users live in the city, according to the Disability Network of New York City’s website.

Ford’s Crown Victoria has been the city’s primary taxi model since it was introduced in 2001.  The company has also sold around 2,800 hybrid cabs in New York City.  Its design for the new taxis appears wider and roomier than the Crown Victoria, and will likely get better mileage than the notorious gas-guzzler.

None of the final three models is a hybrid, and only KarsanUSA’s is wheelchair accessible, said Allan Fromberg, a spokesperson for the TLC.  But he was quick to add, “The initial model will evolve.”

Not everyone is looking forward to the conversion to the new cabs, which will take about five years to complete.

“Dealers won’t be able to keep up with the demand for either the cars or repair parts,” said Sebastian Olson, manager of McGuinness Management Corporation, a taxi rental company in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  “Mechanics don’t know how to fix these high-tech cars.”

Ravi Kandh, a cab driver who rents his car from McGuinness, is also skeptical of the new designs.  He worries that they won’t be as safe for the driver or as durable as the old Crown Victorias.

“These cars run for 23 hours a day,” Kandh said.  “I don’t think you can make an economical car that can take that pounding.”

Whether the taxis of tomorrow have glass roofs or metal, and are greener or still just yellow, Egya Appiah isn’t too concerned.

“They’re taxis, they’re not my car,” said Appiah, a Manhattan lawyer who lives off Vanderbilt Ave. in Prospect Heights.  “For what they are, they’re okay.”

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