New York City taxi cabs drive through Times Square in New York. PHOTO: REUTERS
The change is the result of a new law that Mayor Bill DeBlasio signed in April and went into effect on Friday eliminating the English proficiency exam for taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers.
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It is the latest big change for cab drivers as policymakers and regulators try to adapt the city's requirements to demographic and technological changes. The legislation created a single license for all taxicab and for-hire vehicles and eliminated the English language proficiency test, according to a New York City Council website.
The Council described the requirement as "a significant barrier to entry to driving a taxi" in a statement announcing the bill and other related legislation in January.
New York is home to nearly 144,000 active drivers of medallion cabs, livery cars and other for-hire vehicles, according to a 2016 report from the Taxi and Limousine Commission. Over 90 percent of those drivers are born outside the United States.
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The Taxi and Limousine Commission is working with the Mayor's office on a potential education program that would include English language vocabulary for drivers, a spokeswoman for Commission said.
The new law was part of a broader legislative package that also included a bill to require the Taxi and Limousine Commission to directly administer a health care services program.
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