SQUEEZE IS ON AS HYBRID CABS GET OK
July 27, 2005
Link to NY Post

By KATE MURRAY

Loss of legroom is an "acceptable sacrifice" for having clean, green taxicabs, according to Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Matthew Daus.

The TLC yesterday gave the go-ahead for six makes of fuel-saving "hybrid" cabs — which run on both electricity and gas — to be on the road by fall.

While the hybrids have been criticized for their cramped interiors, Daus and his fellow commissioners said the problem really wasn't that bad — even though their own review of the six models found they were as much as nine inches short of current regulations.

"It's a short-term sacrifice that I think New Yorkers can and will make," the 5-foot-8 Daus said.

The issue might be solved by using security cameras in cabs, rather than partitions, he added.

"I think if we put the cameras in there, we can give people a bit more room," the commissioner said.