NYC Expands Green Efforts to Taxi and Limo Services

New York City continues its efforts to go green under its PLANYC, a plan from late 2006 where Mayor Michael Bloomberg challenged the citizens of NY to work toward achieving 10 goals for a greener future.

Last year the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) officially addressed the city’s plan to turn the taxi fleet hybrid. Expectations are that taxi cabs purchased after September 2008 must get 25 miles per gallon or better. The plan graduates in an increase of 30 miles per gallon in the following year on all new taxi cabs added to the fleet in the fall of 2009.

It has drawn some fire from the Taxicab Board of Trade initially due to safety concerns as taxis are on the road long term for a great deal of their life span. The bigger issue at hand is probably cost as the city pushes to replace the fleet with hybrid taxis to 30% by the end of 2009, then 100% before 2013.

Meanwhile to further its plans the TLC’s discussions have turned to the “black car” fleet that provides services to corporate clientele. With an average of 12 to 15 miles per gallon, companies will probably welcome the switch to hybrid. The plan allows the black car transfer an extra year to make the switch in comparison to the time line set forth for the taxi cabs.

Companies offering low interest loans are available to assist in the funding owners will need to make in the costly switch. It is estimated that over 23,000 TLC vehicles will be affected in the first phase, however the anticipated cost savings attributed to this change could be well into the thousands of dollars. If coupled with the proposed law to waive the city sales tax on fuel-efficient vehicles owners might even be seeing green as well as driving green.