City Steps Up Safety Measures for Livery Drivers Amid Rising Violence

May 04, 2000

With the death toll among livery drivers rising sharply, city officials have announced an aggressive new series of measures to protect New York’s 35,000 cabbies. The effort comes after the ninth livery driver was murdered this year, leaving the industry shaken and families across the city grieving.

Background / Incident

On January 1, just minutes into the new millennium, 25-year-old Kuldip Singh, a Queens livery driver, was fatally shot in the head in Astoria. He was the first — but not the last — driver to fall victim to violence in 2000. Since then, eight more drivers have been killed.

In the first four months of the year, police reported 420 livery-cab robberies, a staggering pace compared to the 737 reported in all of 1999. Last year alone, 11 drivers were murdered on the job.

The violence has not slowed. Just last weekend, two Queens cabbies were assaulted. In Jamaica, a driver was menaced with a knife but escaped after a struggle; police later arrested the suspect. Hours later in Jackson Heights, another driver was attacked after an argument with a pedestrian.

Community Response / Leadership Reaction

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, joined by Bell Atlantic officials, announced that 29,000 donated cell phones pre-programmed to automatically dial 911 will be distributed to livery drivers across the city. Originally collected for domestic violence victims by the group P.H.O.N.E.S. (People Helping Others in Need of Emergency Services), the phones will now serve as “lifelines” for drivers.

“We welcome the opportunity to take another step to help the city’s livery cab drivers, who work hard performing a vital service under dangerous circumstances,” Giuliani said.

Last week, the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) also adopted a new safety policy: all livery drivers must install either a bulletproof partition or a security camera in their vehicles within 30 days. Giuliani pledged $5 million in city funding, or about $300 per cab, to help drivers comply. A separate city fund will also provide assistance with funeral expenses for victims’ families.

“All of these steps represent an unprecedented commitment,” said Allan Fromberg, TLC spokesman.

Personal Impact

For drivers on the streets, the fear is constant. “You have to use your intuition and your discretion, and not be greedy,” said veteran cabbie Stan Kurlanchik, who has worked for Kelly’s Car Service in Bayside for a decade. At 6’3” and 220 pounds, he admits he feels physically secure but never lets his guard down: “I think about it every minute of every day.”

Kelly’s requires all rides to be booked by phone, forbidding street hails — a policy that has kept its drivers safer. Of the nine cabbies murdered this year, only one was dispatched by phone.

Broader Context

Police Commissioner Howard Safir and Fernando Mateo, president of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, have both urged drivers to avoid street hails, particularly during overnight shifts, until security measures are fully in place.

“If you pick people up on the street at three o’clock in the morning, and you let them into your cab and into your front seat, you’re putting yourself in danger,” Safir warned.

With new safety rules, donated phones, and heightened police attention, city leaders hope to stem the tide of violence. But for the men and women behind the wheel, every fare still carries a risk — and every night brings uncertainty.

Source: NYSFTD News Archive