City wants more taxis in outer boroughs

There could be an additional 6,000 yellow cabs designated solely to pick up street hails in the outer boroughs if the city has its way, Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky said yesterday.

Currently, outer borough passengers can only hail down the rare yellow cabs or prearrange for livery cabs to pick them up.

“If you live in Brooklyn or Queens ... you’re either hailing a car that’s not supposed to pick you up or an unlicensed car,” Yassky told amNewYork yesterday. “Neither one is first rate service.”

Yassky is meeting with state legislators today to discuss the plan, since the sale of additional medallions requires city and state approval.

This latest plan is a variation of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal earlier this year to allow livery cabs to pick up street hails in the outer boroughs. Bhairavi Desai, head of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, said cab drivers have no problem with the latest concept but insist the city should charge less for medallions serving the outer boroughs.

Assemblyman Marcos Crespo (D-Bronx), who is on the state Assembly transportation committee, said he wanted to make sure the plan wouldn’t negatively impact current livery drivers.