More Green Cabs Hit the Streets

By NADIRA FOSTER-WILLIAMS

The Bloomberg administration on Tuesday announced that it was adding 1,000 more green cabs to the fleet already serving the outer boroughs and Upper Manhattan since August.

“In this fashion forward town, the hot color this season is apple green, seen on the street in our new fleet of Boro cabs,” said Mayor Bloomberg at a Brooklyn news conference.

Some 20 percent of the green cabs are equipped for disabled riders, officials said.

The new cabs have meters, roof lights, and credit card machines, similar to the yellow cabs that serve mostly Manhattan.

It is unclear how many disabled persons have used the cars.

“I don’t know and can’t say we have the information for how many disabled persons have utilized the services but I can tell you that there are 800,000 disabled citizens in New York,” said Disability Commissioner David Calise.

Mayor Bloomberg compared the success of the green cabs to the city’s swelling transportation fad, Citi Bikes.

“The dividends are now paying off…Citi Bikes are another great example of our success,” said the environment-conscious mayor. “Boro Taxis and Citi Bikes are two new, totally unpaid for by state, city, and government transportations to make your commutes easier.”

Livery Base Owners Association representatuive Cira Angeles saod that the new wave of cabs puts an end to the “Tale of Two Cities,” theme of Bill de Blasio’s ssuccessful mayoral campaign by providing cab service in the boroughs.

“Now drivers have no need to fear hefty fines for illegal transport between boroug,”said Angeles. “We needed to bring equal service, and legal access for all; we are legalizing our industry.”

Officials said that in three months of green cab usage 280,455 trips had been taken.

However, the green cabs have drawn criticism from some quarters.

De Blasio has gone on record criticizing the fleet “undermining of existing taxi and transportation sectors.”

The New York Taxi Workers Alliance sided with DeBlasio, asking him not to “sell out the drivers,” of yellow cabs.

The union accused the taxi industry of being ‘quick and ready to throw taxi drivers under the bus.’

In response, Bloomberg said, “I don’t know about what DeBlasio thinks-you have to ask DeBlasio, but I am focused on the next 49 days.”