NYC taxi drivers sue to stop installation of GPS units
By DAVID B. CARUSO
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) _ A group of cabbies sued city regulators
Wednesday in an attempt to block a new requirement that all taxis
be outfitted with global positioning systems and software that will
record where they drive.

The move comes two weeks after thousands of cabbies went on
strike for two days to protest the rule, which some have blasted as
an invasion of privacy.

In the suit, the drivers argue that the city overstepped its
authority and acted unconstitutionally when it mandated the units.

The suit also makes an unusual claim that the GPS devices will
give away trade secrets by disclosing the cabbies' driving
patterns.

Most hacks, it explained, cruise routes of their own design that
they believe lead to the most lucrative fares. “Each taxi driver
regards his or her own pattern as proprietary,'' the suit said.
Tracking those patterns would cause the drivers to give up their
competitive edge, the suit claimed.

Officials at New York's taxi and Limousine Commission referred
calls to the city's law department, which said it was reviewing the
suit.

The GPS units are among several pieces of new technology being
phased into cabs this year, including credit card machines, a text
messaging system and television screens for passengers.

Taxi drivers and fleet owners are divided over the new
equipment. Some have embraced it. Others have criticized it as
costly and unnecessary.

A faction of drivers, led by the taxi Workers Alliance, struck
for two days last month to call attention to the dispute. The
Alliance also organized the lawsuit, which was filed at a federal
court in Manhattan.

The drivers are asking the court to block enforcement of the new
technology requirements and reimburse drivers for the cost of
installing any equipment already in place. It also seeks an
injunction blocking the first round of enforcement of the rules.

Cabs that don't have the technology will start failing city
inspections as of Oct. 1. Within the past few weeks, the city has
also begun fining cab owners who haven't yet signed contracts to
install the equipment. Owners have also been threatened with
suspensions for failing to comply.