It is with great pleasure we report that, as of today, the TLC will be suspending its enforcement, until further notice, of the rule specific to mandatory Black Car vehicle retirement. As you may know, back in April of 2008, the TLC adopted a set of new rules which included a Black Car vehicle retirement component.

The rules, which initially took effect in May of 2008, addressed all vehicle model years, and were subsequently modified in 2015 to establish that Black Cars model year 2013 and newer would not be subject to any type of mandatory vehicle retirement. Black Cars model year 2012 and below, however, would be subject to a uniform seven-year retirement structure.

The reasoning behind the proposed repeal of the 2008 requirement was that the market itself was the driving incentive for the constant upgrading of Black Cars due to consumers' ever-increasing demand for high quality, safe and reliable vehicles; something we've known to be true of our industry since its inception.

In the following statement from the TLC, the upcoming City Council legislation is referenced as a main contributing factor to this wise decision. "In contemplation of the Council's consideration of legislation that would discontinue the remaining mandatory retirement for vehicles 2012 and older, the Taxi and Limousine Commission has suspended enforcement of this requirement until further notice." 

BCAC President, Berj Haroutunian, was quick to issue the following statement. "It has long been a goal of the BCAC, and the Black Car industry as a whole, to do away with this rule. I believe I can speak for all industry members when I say that we are thankful that the TLC and NYC Council have agreed to hear our side on this matter; the TLC in particular for going the extra mile and suspending enforcement. They saw the potential negative implications, and they saw to it that it did not go any further in anticipation of the pending legislation. I'd like to extend a special thank you to the BCAC's Executive Director, Ira J. Goldstein. Since day one he has been a strong advocate for our industry and was a crucial player in this deal."

This achievement would not have been possible without the tireless and continued advocacy of the BCAC, and its dedication to the Black Car drivers of this great state, and stands as yet another victory that can be added to the ever-growing list of accomplishments attributed to the BCAC. 

We look forward to continued success in working together with you all on the issues that affect your day-to-day operation, so that we may achieve a Black Car industry that remains as healthy as it is vital for everyone involved. As members of the Black Car industry, we have been tasked with the privileged responsibility of moving the riding public of New York safely, comfortably, conveniently, and perhaps most importantly, in an affordable and cost-effective manner.

Had this agreement not been reached, the existing vehicle retirement rules would have required the purchase of many new vehicles at great expense, potentially leading to rate increases to share these increased costs with clients, and perhaps even resulting in lost ridership. Thankfully, at least for now, that's just one less thing we need to worry about, and we can get back to what we do best -- keeping New York moving in style with the best Black Car services in the world!