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NYC taxi drivers call for ‘bathroom placard’ to relieve cabbies
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Feb 2, 2025
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By
Catalina Gonella
Published Feb 2, 2025
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New York City taxi drivers need to go — and one advocacy group is calling on the city to let them.
The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers is urging the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission and the Department of Transportation to stop fining drivers for parking violations. Instead, they’re asking for special placards that would allow drivers to park in otherwise ticketable locations for 10 minutes to use the restroom.
Fernando Mateo, spokesperson for the NYSFTD, said the shortage of parking spaces in New York City often puts drivers in a tough position, especially those with health conditions. Some drivers are forced to answer nature’s call behind an open taxi door, risking even greater fines for indecent exposure, he said.
“We have a lot of drivers that are diabetics, drivers that have kidney problems, and a lot of drivers that are waiting for transplants," Mateo said. "And when they double-park or they park to use a bathroom, they get ticketed – taking away their entire day's profit.”
The city issues fines for various parking violations, including a $95 penalty for parking in a truck-loading zone and $115 for parking at a bus stop. In addition, the MTA began ticketing drivers who block bus lanes or double-park near them last summer, with fines ranging from $50 to $250 for repeat offenses.
Mayor Eric Adams acknowledged last year that New York City doesn’t have enough public restrooms, vowing to build or renovate 82 over the next five years. But Mateo argued that the primary issue for drivers isn’t a lack of restrooms — it's that there are simply not enough parking spots for drivers to leave their cars for just a few minutes.
A placard that would allow taxi drivers to park in otherwise unauthorized spots, such as double-parked or truck-loading areas, for 10 minutes would help address the problem, Mateo said.
“There are no spots in New York," Mateo said. "When you drive around the city and you have to go to the bathroom, 90% of places in New York City don’t have parking spaces. When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go — you can’t drive for five, 10 minutes looking for a spot.”
Jason Kersten, a spokesperson for the TLC, said the commission is working with the DOT to identify locations where new for-hire vehicle relief stands can be created.
"Access to restrooms for TLC drivers is fundamental to humane working conditions, and an important issue that we take seriously,” Kersten said. “We are constantly seeking ways to expand bathroom access for TLC drivers within our limited public space, including working with our partners at DOT to identify spots for new taxi and for-hire vehicle relief stands."
Danny Pearlstein, a spokesperson for the public transit advocacy group Riders Alliance, noted that it’s crucial to define where the proposed placards could be used.
"Permission to park anywhere can't mean a license to block bus stops, lanes or shelters, which could have big impacts on service reliability and system accessibility," he said.
A spokesperson for the DOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Catalina Gonella
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