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Medallion taxi safety and emissions failure rate – Initial inspection (%)
Ensure the quality and safety of for-hire vehicle transportation services through effective regulation and administration of rules, standards, and licensing requirements. — Ensure that all licensed vehicles meet safety and emissions standards.
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 29.3% | 35% |
| FY23 | 25.9% | 35% |
| FY24 | 21% | 35% |
| FY25 | 31.5% | 45% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 29.9% | 45% |
29.9% in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (15.1% below the 45% target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
Mayor John Lindsay created the Taxi and Limousine Commission in 1971 through Local Law 12, taking taxi and for-hire vehicle regulation away from the NYPD's Hack Bureau, which had overseen the industry since 1925 but struggled with rising complaints about unsafe vehicles and driver misconduct as the industry grew. Today TLC licenses and inspects drivers and vehicles, requiring fingerprinting, drug testing, driver education, and ongoing vehicle inspections, and it enforces those standards through a dedicated Uniformed Services Bureau. The agency has also had its own controversies, including a role in years of medallion price inflation that a state investigation later scrutinized.
Wikipedia - New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, TLC - Licensing and Standards
Source: TLC Safety and Emissions Division — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: The percentage of medallion taxis that failed initial safety and emissions inspection. Vehicles that fail initial inspections must return to TLC's Woodside facility for re-inspection until they are able to pass.