TLC Approves Permanent Cap on Uber, Lyft in NYC

In August 2019, the Taxi and Limousine Commission voted to permanently extend the freeze on new for-hire vehicles in New York. It will issue no new car permits except for fully-electric or wheelchair accessible vehicles — however, the TLC will reevaluate the cap every six months. But the new regulation has come under heavy criticism from ride-hail companies and many of their workers, who argue it has created an unregulated secondary “medallion” market that is forcing new drivers to pay hefty fees to lease or rent vehicles. Concerns over the new rules argue that the cap on new licenses forces many drivers to rent cars in order to work.