Not All Hail New NYC Taxis

Taxi of Tomorrow

New York Daily News: Some politicians are already saying hail no to the city's pick for the "Taxi of Tomorrow."

The city announced Tuesday that it had selected Japanese automaker Nissan to produce the "Taxi of Tomorrow" after submitting a bid based on its NV200 minivan design, as first reported by the Daily News.

But Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Assemblyman Micah Kellner and Public Advocate Bill DiBlasio already called on city Controller John Liu to investigate the selection process, alleging a possible conflict of interest. A TLC consultant on "Taxi of Tomorrow," automotive design and engineering company Ricardo also has done business with Nissan and Ford, the officials say.

Kellner also blasted the design for not being 100 % handicap accessible - and for looking old-fashioned. "Who knew that the 'Taxi of Tomorrow' was the delivery van of yesterday?" Kellner said. "Just because you paint a van yellow doesn't make it a taxi."

(Mayor) Bloomberg, though, praised the new design, which includes more knee room, anti-bacterial seats, outlets and charging stations and sliding doors to avoid hitting cyclists. "It's going to be the safest, most comfortable and most convenient cab the city has ever had," Bloomberg said in a release.

The TLC also announced the Ford Transit Connect runner up will be added to the list of approved cab vehicles during the interim period. That means the losing Ford will be on the road as soon as next month, well ahead of the Nissan.

Bloomberg and TLC Chairman David Yassky in November revealed that Nissan was among three finalists in the competition, along with Ford and Turkish carmaker Karsan.

While there are 13,200 yellow cabs, only about 240 are handicapped accessible. Advocates saw the competition as an opportunity to increase the mobility for the estimated 50,000 wheelchair users in the city, along with many others who have difficult walking. Advocates for the disabled have been pushing for the Karsan design because it featured ramps that mechanically extend from both sides of the vehicle. Its design also featured a see-through roof, offering new vertical vistas for everyday riders and tourists.

The taxi of the future won't be on the road anytime soon. At the time, officials said the winner would get a 10-year contract giving them exclusive right to make and sell yellow cabs to city hacks and fleet owners.

"Once the TOT (Taxi of Tomorrow) model is selected, TLC must necessarily engage in a lengthy contracting process before the TOT vehicle is in the market," Assistant Corporation Council Robin Binder wrote to the federal government last month. "Thus, the TOT vehicle is a long way from actually appearing on the streets of the city."

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