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Fleet Falls Short in First Report
On Clean Air Taxi Program

The first quarterly report on the city's Clean Air Taxi Program shows that the fleet as a whole has some catching up to do to meet mandated emissions standards.

The program, which went into effect July 1, is intended to reduce overall taxi industry emissions by 20 percent from 1990 levels. In order to achieve that goal, companies are required (with certain exceptions) to meet an annual average of 38 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per vehicle for newly introduced vehicles.

As an example, the Toyota Prius emits 23 tons of GHGs per year, while the Ford Escape hybrid emits 33.5. and a conventional gas Ford Crown Victoria emits 64.7 GHGs. The CNG version of the Crown Vic emits 39.1 GHGs, according to data furnished by the company that does the conversions.

The industrywide average GHGs for the first three months of the program was 44.14, or more than six points above the mandated standard. But emissions are calculated annually for program purposes, so companies now above the average can still comply by introducing more fuel-efficient vehicles in the coming months.

Only three companies came in below the standard. They were Regents Cab, Best Cab and Green Cab.

Fifteen companies came in above the standard. The worst were Bay Cab and Black & White Checker. None of the city's largest companies — Yellow, Luxor and DeSoto — met the standard, though Yellow and Luxor came close.

New York City mandated a similar program, requiring newly introduced vehicles to meet a 25-miles-per-gallon standard in 2008, and 30 mpgs starting in 2009. But a federal judge has ruled the New York requirement to be in violation of federal law.

As a result, New York is going to an incentive system, allowing cab owners to charge $3 more per shift for hybrids. San Francisco allows $7.50 extra per shift.

No one has yet challenged the San Francisco rules.

The UTW-ALC proposal has been submitted to the MTA and will be discussed along with other proposals at the Town Hall meetings currently in progress.