Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
TLC Approves Pilot Program To Eliminate Dread Taxi TVs
By
Lauren Evans
Published Oct 16, 2015
Modified Oct 16, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Lauren Evans
Published Oct 16, 2015
Modified Oct 16, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Taxi TVs are one step closer to being shot into the sun where they belong, following a vote by the Taxi and Limousine Commission on Thursday that approved a pilot program to replace the screens in some cabs.
The TVs are responsible for destroying the peace and solitude that passengers often seek from their cab rides, in addition to torturing drivers forced to listen to the relentless mechanized chatter day after day after day. The "mute" and "off" buttons are frequently broken, so the solution to silence the screens once and for all was arrived at without undue bickering.
“I thought I was the only one who didn’t like Taxi TV,” one TLC board member mused before the vote on Thursday. The group agreed to test the pilot's new, quieter payment technology on 1,000 vehicles across the city.
Various aspects of the trial will be closely monitored, including the effectiveness of GPS-based meter technology, as well as the practicability of the devices for the blind. Test drives using both traditional meters as well as the GPS system will seek out any fare discrepancies, and audio fare updates for the visually impaired will be made throughout the duration of the trip.
The pilot was initially intended to debut in 4,000 vehicles across the city, but was scaled back to 1,000 lucky cabs.
The TVs were phased in around 2006, with the goal of creating ad revenue for fleet owners and a modicum of backseat entertainment to passengers. Instead, a 2011 TLC survey found that the TVs were the second biggest criticism from cab riders, the first being the high price of fare. The two vendors acquiesced to lowering the TVs' initial volume, though it quickly became clear the volume buttons were purely decorative.
A few years ago, a reporter was swiftly ejected from a cab after kicking a Taxi TV for its inability to shut up. She regrets the incident but will not be sorry to see the TVs burn in hell.
Tagged
cabs
taxi and limousine commission
taxi tvs
taxis
tlc
Lauren Evans
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Your guide to voting in New York's 2026 elections for governor and Congress
A primer on the races for governor, attorney general and the congressional districts that could help determine control of the U.S. House.
By
Walter Wuthmann
,
Jon Campbell
and
Brigid Bergin
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
Forest Hills Stadium can keep its concerts under deal with neighbors
Neighbors had complained of traffic and loud concerts for years.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Forest Hills Stadium can keep its concerts under deal with neighbors
Neighbors had complained of traffic and loud concerts for years.
By
Ryan Kost
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
By
Elizabeth Kim
NYPD arrests 17-year-old in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting
By
Charles Lane
Ex-Adams aide accused of pocketing kickbacks from community program funds
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .