The union representing New York City’s cab drivers has teamed up with Uber and a hedge fund that owns thousands of taxi medallions to call on lawmakers to create a public health fund for drivers.
The request was made through a letter sent to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul Friday, and comes after four yellow taxi drivers died on the job over the summer. Gothamist reported several were facing health issues, and forced to choose between working long hours to pay their bills and seeking treatment.
The letter called for the state to redirect a 50-cent surcharge on all yellow cab rides into a health fund for drivers. The surcharge has been directed to the MTA since 2009, and brings in around $24 million a year. The change would require approval from state lawmakers.
The letter also asked lawmakers to expand existing funds for app-based car and livery drivers.
The groups wrote the deaths required “crisis that is threatening the health and safety of New York City’s professional drivers.”
The coalition is an unlikely one. The Taxi Workers Alliance has long criticized Uber for damaging the city’s once-iconic yellow cab industry. MarbleGate, which also signed onto the letter, owns more than 2,000 taxi medallions, which were once valued at more than $1 million but now sell for around $100,000 a piece, according to city records.
“ To have the two largest corporations come out and support, endorse our proposal that’s incredible progress for us,” said Taxi Workers Alliance executive director Bhairavi Desai. “It’s incredible progress for us and a real breakthrough to show the governor and the mayor that there’s less opposition here, that there’s a unified call for urgency to really get this done.”
Representatives for the governor and the mayor’s office did not respond to requests for comment.