The New York State Court of Appeals halted a deal to set a standard car for New York City taxi drivers this week. According to the New York Times:
The move essentially pauses efforts to phase in the model, the Nissan NV200, while the court decides the appeal, brought by a prominent taxi group. The city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission had set April 20th as the date after which most taxi owners would have to switch to the new vehicle when they retire their cabs.
Those who oppose former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s efforts to make sure all cabs are what’s being called “Taxis of Tomorrow” say that it’s an abuse of power to control what kind of car drivers and companies purchase.
“Almost 700 Nissan NV200 Taxis of Tomorrow are already on the road today, voluntarily, and both passenger and driver feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” Allan Fromberg, a spokesman for the commission, said in a statement. “We are confident that the court will consider every aspect of our efforts and decide fairly.”
The Times refers to Mayor Bill de Blasio as a reluctant supporter of the plan.
Jenn Stanley is a freelance journalist, essayist and independent producer living in Chicago. She has an M.S. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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