Friday, August 3, 2007

>> Cabbies threaten strike over GPS systems

NEW YORK (AP) -- A group representing thousands of taxi drivers said last week it will idle cabs in September if the city goes ahead with a plan to require installation of GPS tracking systems.
Starting October 1, as the city's 13,000 taxis come up for inspections they must have the
GPS equipment along with touch-screen monitors that will let passengers pay by credit card, check on news stories and look up restaurant and entertainment information.

If the Taxi & Limousine Commission abandons the GPS part of the plan, "then there's room to sit down and talk," said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, which counts more than 8,400 members.
But if the plan moves forward, she said, the group will specify the date, duration and other details of the potential work stoppage next month.
The Taxi Workers Alliance -- an advocacy group rather than a labor union -- said GPS devices would be an invasion of drivers' privacy because they could track cabs' movements.


From: CNN News

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