TLC Launches First Driver Engagement Survey to Guide Initiatives and Priorities

New Questionnaire Focuses on Licensee Viewpoints and Feedback to Inform Agency’s Efforts Under Mamdani Administration

NEW YORK, NY – The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) on Monday debuted a first-of-its-kind driver survey designed to gather direct input from licensees, which the agency will use to guide policies, priorities, and initiatives to help usher in a new era focused on driver engagement and increasing working-class voices and economic justice under the Mamdani administration

 

The 17-question survey was officially rolled out at the JFK taxi and rideshare lots, where new TLC Commissioner Midori Valdivia and an agency outreach team introduced it to dozens of licensees. Drivers filled out the survey on tablets provided by TLC staff and directly on their phones by scanning a QR code that took them to the questionnaire, which was also emailed to every TLC licensee in 12 languages and can be accessed online at nyc.gov/TLCdriversurvey.

 

“Our city depends on the labor of drivers who have been pushed to the margins for far too long,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “This survey will help put power in the hands of drivers and develop policy shaped by input from the people who keep New York moving every day."

 

“This survey gives hardworking licensed drivers a voice and helps return government to the working-class people who move our city,” said Deputy Mayor of Economic Justice Julie Su. “It signals that there will be no problems too big, and no tasks too small for this administration to resolve.” 

 

“Listening to drivers and getting to understand their lived experiences will be fundamental to how we approach the future,” said TLC Commissioner and Chair Midori Valdivia. “With this survey, licensees will have a hand in guiding our policy decisions, and we want them to know we are just getting started.”

 

While TLC has conducted policy-specific surveys in the past, this is the first time the agency has attempted to poll drivers over a broad range of issues that impact their daily lives. Taking just a few minutes to complete, it asks drivers a series of questions, such as what factors impact their workday the greatest, what TLC actions would most benefit drivers, and the scale of their agreement or disagreement with a range of statements related to TLC services and practices. It also allows drivers to provide a license number so TLC can reach out with follow-up questions and garner more detailed responses.

 

The questionnaire is part of Mayor Mamdani’s commitment to supporting drivers and giving them a greater say when it comes to consequential decisions that impact their working conditions, incomes, and industries. It will remain online in perpetuity to gather rolling feedback and evaluate changes in driver sentiment over time.

 

About NYC TLC

 

Created in 1971, NYC TLC is the agency responsible for licensing and regulating New York City's medallion (yellow) taxi cabs, for-hire vehicles (community-based liveries, black cars, and luxury limousines), commuter vans, and paratransit vehicles, along with the businesses that operate them. It is recognized as the largest and most active taxi and for-hire vehicle regulatory body in the United States.

 

Almost 180,000 TLC licensees complete approximately 1,000,000 trips each day. To operate for hire, drivers must first undergo a background check, have a safe driving record, and complete 24 hours of driver training. TLC-licensed vehicles are inspected for safety and emissions at TLC's Woodside Inspection Facility.

 

To find out more about the TLC, or to review its rules, regulations, and procedures, we encourage you to visit our official website at www.nyc.gov/taxi or contact 311/311 Online.

 

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