In our last survey to IDG members, 36.6% said they do not have healthcare insurance.

It is appalling that in one of the most wealthy cities in America, the people responsible for the safe transportation of over 200,000 people per day don't have access to affordable health insurance.

In an effort to fix that, the New York City Council is proposing a bill to pay the costs of healthcare benefits and expenses through a surcharge on top of For Hire Vehicle fares. This bill authorizes the Taxi and Limousine Commission to research the necessary surcharge amount and may authorize an agency to administer the funds.

What does that mean for you? Potentially free healthcare.

The Independent Drivers Guild is reaching out to our members to see if more than two-thirds of you support or oppose this proposed bill. Please vote with the form at the bottom of this page if you're on mobile, or to the right if you're on a desktop.

Thoughts of the Independent Drivers Guild staff:

We would urge working drivers to support this bill.

That being said, we do not believe that the bill is perfect. We believe that the Taxi and Limousine Commission should not be the administrators for the bill, the Black Car Fund should be. The Black Car Fund already has the necessary infrastructure to collect and administer benefits (they administer Worker's Compensation to working drivers injured on the job). And since the Black Car Fund is authorized by New York State, it would be much easier to expand these healthcare benefits to protect working drivers throughout the state.

We will seek these changes, and continue to fight to get all working drivers the basic protections they need.