PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Matthew Daus, Transportation Technology Chair at CUNY City College
2:22:58
ยท
4 min
Matthew Daus, former NYC Taxi and Limousine Commissioner and current Transportation Technology Chair at CUNY City College, testified about ongoing research on the insurance crisis in the NYC taxi industry. He expressed support for Intro 1050, which would lower required personal injury protection (PIP) insurance for taxis.
- Daus is leading a study at CUNY on reforms, root causes, and recommendations to address the insurance crisis in NYC's taxi industry.
- He argues that the current high PIP requirements benefit very few people and that lowering them, along with other reforms, could help the struggling industry.
- Daus emphasized the complexity of the issue and the need for action after 25 years of inaction on insurance reform.
Matthew Daus
2:22:58
K.
2:23:00
Hi.
2:23:00
Can you hear me?
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:23:02
We can hear you.
Matthew Daus
2:23:03
Hi.
2:23:05
Hi, chair Brooks Powers.
2:23:07
Good to see you, and, the members of the committee.
2:23:10
My name is Matt Doss.
2:23:11
I am the former, longest serving New York City Taxi Limousine Commissioner and Chair.
2:23:17
I also was the general counsel, of the TLC at the time that these rules, involving 10 fifties intro ten fifty were passed.
2:23:25
I'm now transportation technology chair at the City University of New York at City College where we have a research center that's USDOT funded doing research on this very issue.
2:23:35
So I'm here today to give you a little bit of a a short preview on where we stand with our study that I've, shared with, not only you with the but also the bill sponsor, council member, de la Rosa, and, council member Farris.
2:23:50
I've been talking about, the methodology, and I I heard there were some questions earlier on the panel.
2:23:56
I didn't watch all the testimony, but, as to whether we have an objective study or anybody looking at this, the answer is yes.
2:24:04
The UTRC has all of the region's, top scholars from all of the universities that have transportation programs.
2:24:11
And we have we are in the putting the finishing touches on a report, which should be out, specifically on, reforms, root causes, and steps forward and recommendations for trying to, solve and alleviate the insurance crisis in New York City specifically.
2:24:29
We, have the methodology includes, looking at data.
2:24:34
It looks at, we've been in touch with all types of stakeholders in the industry.
2:24:39
We're reaching out to more to get their perspectives and information.
2:24:42
This is an incredibly complex issue.
2:24:44
I was the general counsel.
2:24:46
I wasn't the decision maker, but I drafted the rules along with mister Mazer who testified earlier as my deputy at the time.
2:24:54
We passed these rules along with the liabilities as part of the 1998 reforms.
2:24:59
And just a bit of history, there was a lot of controversy surrounding them.
2:25:02
There was a taxi strike.
2:25:03
I think the taxi workers alliance was actually formed at that time along with
UNKNOWN
2:25:08
Your time has expired.
2:25:09
Thank you.
Matthew Daus
2:25:11
Can I just have one second to wrap up, please?
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:25:13
If you could, please.
Matthew Daus
2:25:15
Yes.
2:25:16
We will have our comments and our recommendations out, and I would encourage you to read them.
2:25:22
But one of the ones that we're we're looking at now is and I can share with you is that we definitely support intro ten fifty because because this is a recommendation that is one part of the problem.
2:25:35
It's a judgment call.
2:25:36
You know, it's not going to solve the problem completely, but is a step in the right direction.
2:25:41
And we've had twenty five years of inaction, and we have an insurance crisis that needs to be solved.
2:25:47
There's a lot of misinformation which I'll try to, I'm gonna submit written comments responding, that I hope you will read, before the deadline is up.
2:25:56
There's a lot of misinformation that has been shared here today.
2:25:59
Reg 68, and a lot of the laws that are in place and all the different forms of compensation including private compensation, for private health insurance is available for people.
2:26:10
The number of people in our conclusions is very limited that benefit from this additional PIP.
2:26:15
Additional PIP was designed for motorists who wanna protect their families and buy it, on top of what they have.
2:26:22
Does not cover other pedestrians on on the road.
2:26:25
Does not cover motorists and other vehicles.
2:26:27
And the driver has ample insurance in most situations to cover their medical benefits.
2:26:33
It does not cover pain and suffering.
2:26:35
It is only for medical expenses and it's all only for lost wages and other types of benefits that are covered by the funds.
2:26:43
Private insurance, Obamacare.
2:26:45
This there's so few people that have ever in our experience reached the upper levels of the 200,000.
2:26:52
It's a judgment call that you need to make.
2:26:54
But if it was up to me, I would say that plus other reforms along with it will make a difference.
2:26:59
It's not just about drivers
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:27:00
Thank you.
Matthew Daus
2:27:01
Same property in this term.
2:27:02
We need to mandate telematics and do a lot of other things.
2:27:06
And I wanna congratulate you chair as well as, I'd like to congratulate, council member de la Rosa for having the courage to move forward with this bill because it's never a politic a politically easy thing to do to reduce insurance.
2:27:19
If we don't do this and other things, we're not gonna have jobs or an industry to serve the people of the city.
2:27:25
And I can tell you that based upon all the work I've done on this on this report, which I hope you will read, that this needs to be done as a first step.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:27:34
Thank you.
2:27:34
Thank you for that.
Geoff Berman
2:27:36
But this
Matthew Daus
2:27:36
I'm here for questions offline as you know, chair, as always.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:27:40
Absolutely.