Posted by Leonard Steinberg on May 4, 2011

New York has been searching for a suitable cab replacement. And the winner is….NISSAN: Nissan will be the manufacturer supplying the replacement to the antiquated Crown Victoria cabs that have made New Yorkers commutes rather awful over the years.

Not only will this replacement be twice as fuel efficient (about 24mpg), but they will also provide more comfort for passengers…..more space, legroom, easier entry/access. They will also be equipped with passenger side airbags and phone chargers (miracle!). Soon the tips of your shoes will not have to be sliced off by the cramped rear quarters of a cab, and getting in and out will not require Cirque du Soleil acrobatic training. The 13,000 plus New york cabs will be all replaced by the end of this decade. This vehicle is specifically designed for cab usage.

Now lets also hope that someone in our beloved government and the Taxi and Limousine Commission consider the following:

1)   Cleaning the cabs on a regular basis. A little bit of Windex goes a long way.

2)  Easy-to-use payment computers for credit card usage.

3)  A schedule that does not eliminate cabs from the streets of New York around 3-4pm. HELLOOOO???

4) A clear OFF button for those annoying TV’s…..or at least a large MUTE button. Visually the TV’s are less annoying than the sound they produce. And this must add to the average cab drivers border-line insanity.

5) GPS systems to help those drivers who are never trained to know the streets of our city navigate the most effective routes also highlighting traffic areas.

After this tirade, lets just summarize to say we are EXTREMELY grateful for this very welcomed change.