The Taxi and Limousine Board of Commissioners voted Friday in support of a pilot program that will soon allow passengers to hail a yellow cab using an app downloaded to their smart phones.
The initiative, which will be rolled out early next year and tested quarterly, will enable New Yorkers to digitally flag down a cab within 1.5 miles anywhere in the city.
Yellow cabs are officially banned from pre-arranging rides, but if the new technology is a success, the pilot will be made a permanent fixture in New York City life.
"This is an exciting day for taxi riders,"TLC Commissioner and Chairman David Yassky said in a statement. "When new technology comes along, we want to make sure it’s available."
