Taxi Commish: Add cabs for 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 Monday.

Currently, outer borough passengers can flag down only 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 said. "Neither one is first-rate service."

Yassky is meeting with state legislators Tuesday 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 cabdrivers have no problem with the latest concept but insist the city should charge less for medallions serving the outer boroughs.

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