Res 0575-2015

By Council Members Rodriguez, Chin, Gentile, Johnson and Rosenthal Whereas, The solitary and often cash-based nature of their work make drivers of vehicles licensed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) particularly vulnerable to violence resulting from disgruntled passengers and robberies; and Whereas, According to a 2010 United States Department of Labor study, taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers are 20 times more likely than other workers to be murdered on the job; and Whereas, Several notable assaults on taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers in New York City have occurred in recent years, including a driver who was punched and slashed with a box cutter in the Bronx in October 2013 and a driver who was violently hit in the face with a skateboard in Manhattan in June 2014; and Whereas, Section 120.05 of the New York State Penal Law makes it a felony to assault and injure many different types of professionals who serve the public, including transit workers, traffic enforcement agents, and nurses; and Whereas, Due to the vulnerable nature of their work, and considering the vital service they provide to the City, TLC-licensed drivers deserve the same protections; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation making it a felony to assault a driver licensed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission. LS# 2748 10/14/2014 JM