The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced new multi-pronged measures under its $100 million Operation Legal Ride initiative, a comprehensive campaign to combat illegal solicitation at John F. Kennedy International (JFK), Newark Liberty International (EWR), and LaGuardia (LGA) airports. The program combines new and existing enforcement tools and an increased public awareness program to make sure illegal hustling can be seriously combatted. The measures are being deployed ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup games and other major international events expected to bring millions of visitors to the New York and New Jersey region this summer, though the long-term campaign will last well beyond the summer.
Hustling at Port Authority airports is a public safety threat where arriving passengers are illegally and often aggressively solicited for rides. This is a dangerous practice where hustlers may be in under-insured vehicles, not have the proper licenses, and ultimately unfairly compete with legitimate, licensed drivers. JFK is a particular focus given its high volume of international arrivals, though the program’s efforts extend across all three of the agency’s major airports.
To date, most existing enforcement in the region has treated hustling as a “quality of life” matter, receiving limited attention resulting in fines that can be seen by offenders as a bearable “cost of doing business.” Through the new initiative, the Port Authority seeks to instill confidence in the traveling public that a driver offering services from the airport is licensed to do so in a safe car with proper insurance. Properly insured taxis and ride share vehicles incur these costs of safety and should not be disadvantaged compared to those illegal purveyors who do not.
Since 2024, Port Authority personnel have documented unwanted and persistent harassment by hustlers in the terminals as well as dozens of incidents involving unlawful detainment, credit card fraud and theft, inflated charges made under duress, and aggressive intimidation tactics. The scale of the problem is significant. Since January 2025, the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) has issued 3,714 summonses for unlawful solicitation at JFK. In that time, the top 50 repeat offenders accumulated 823 such violations at JFK.
A Port Authority analysis of millions of vehicle arrival records across the agency’s regional airports, cross-referenced against the agency’s summons history, revealed that illegal solicitation is driven overwhelmingly by a core group of repeat offenders. The Port Authority believes that most offenders have received a summons by PAPD, but continue to offend, viewing current consequences as merely a cost of doing business. That finding shaped the focus of this campaign, which prioritizes smarter detection tools and cross-agency enforcement mechanisms specifically calibrated to identify, track, and hold accountable those who return to the airports after prior enforcement action.
The campaign includes:
- A surge of Port Authority officers and New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) enforcement personnel across all three major airports dedicated to hustling enforcement.
- Working with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to add license points for conviction of a breach of non-solicitation regulations, with eventual license suspension for repeat offenders. Drivers are subject to arrest by PAPD if they operate a vehicle on airport roads with a suspended license.
- Drivers of vehicles towed and impounded in connection with hustling activities subject to pay new increased costs for vehicle redemption; imposed to recoup a fair share of the Port Authority’s enforcement costs.
- New partnership with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) to protect legitimate drivers by providing new prosecutorial resources, streamlining timely prosecution, and preventing delay of fines for violators.
- New technology to enable real-time detection and targeted enforcement against known repeat offenders.
- A multi-language outreach campaign at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark Liberty warning visitors about illegal hustling through in-flight announcements, terminal signage, and social media advertising.
“Our airports are New York’s gateway to the world, and no visitor to our state should have to worry about being taken advantage of by predatory taxi hustlers. Your trip to the city should not include being taken for a financial ride by scammers,” said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. “That’s why the Port Authority, DMV, and partners across government are cracking down on hustling, making our airports safer and putting these criminals out of business.”
“Visitors to our region deserve a warm welcome, not a shakedown,” said New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. “I commend the Port Authority for partnering with city and state partners to tackle this problem and protect travelers and hardworking drivers who follow the rules.”
“These hustlers need to be put out of business, and we’re using every legitimate tool in our toolbox to make sure that happens,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “As we welcome the world to our region for the World Cup, we want every visitor to have a safe and pleasant experience from the moment they land. That means making our airports hostile territory for these hustlers scamming visitors out of hundreds of dollars. ‘Operation Legal Ride’ is how these criminals will answer for their actions.”
“Hustlers target vulnerable travelers, first-time visitors, and non-English speakers, by taking advantage of unfamiliar surroundings for those who are new to our region or country,” said Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia. “This multi-jurisdictional problem requires a multi-pronged solution, and that’s exactly what we’re proud to deliver today, working with our partners across the city and the state to bolster our efforts and end this dangerous practice.”
“Port Authority police officers are on the ground at our airports and across the region, and they will be out in force this summer,” said Port Authority Chief Security Officer Greg Ehrie. “We are surging officers into terminals, we have a full spectrum of tools to identify and track repeat offenders, and we are working side by side with our partners to make sure every summons we issue results in real consequences. If you come to our airports to prey on travelers, you will be caught, and you will be held accountable.”’
“Our visitors deserve safe, dignified transportation, and with this joint effort we are sending a clear message to the hustlers bent on deceiving our visitors: stay away from our airports and stop bleeding income from hardworking, licensed drivers who play by rules,” said New York City Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Midori Valdivia.
“When visitors from around the world or across the country fly into New York for the World Cup and other big events, we want them to feel welcome and to enjoy everything the city and state have to offer,” said New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Acting Commissioner Christian Jackstadt. “We will not tolerate those who would try to take advantage of those visitors by pretending to be legitimate cab drivers and charging exorbitant fees for rides. DMV is advancing a set of regulatory changes that would toughen the penalties against those who attempt to hustle cab fares, including imposing enough points to put someone’s license and driving privileges at risk if they are caught. We commend Governor Hochul and our partners at the Port Authority for making this a public safety priority.”
“New York is a world-class tourist destination and visitors arriving at our airports deserve a safe experience from the moment they get here,” said Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz. “As we prepare to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, my office is partnering with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission to ensure that visitors are not exploited by unscrupulous drivers looking to take advantage of them. Hustling has no place in our city, and we will use every tool at our disposal to hold offenders accountable.”
“Traveling to a new city is stressful enough. The last thing tourists from around the country and the world should have to worry about when they land in New York is being hustled by a driver illegally looking to make a buck,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “This campaign will not only keep travelers safe from scams but ensure properly licensed and insured taxi drivers have the work they rely on to provide for themselves and their families. Thank you to our partners at the Port Authority for safeguarding those on both sides of hailing a cab at the airport.”
“The Port Authority’s ‘Operation Legal Ride,’ and the partnership with TLC, is a ground-breaking investment into the safety of the public and the livelihood of professional taxi drivers,” said New York Taxi Workers Alliance Executive Director Bhairavi Desai. “TLC-licensed taxi and for-hire-vehicle drivers begin their days at a negative, having paid for operating expenses out of pocket. Yellow cab medallion owner-drivers have the highest burden of over $5,000 per month on average in expenses. Each fare a taxi driver loses to an unlicensed, uninsured vehicle hurts. It’s painful financially – especially as taxis have had a 7 percent loss of trips each of the last three months compared to last year and all TLC drivers are paying more for fuel and insurance. And to witness the flagrant hustling when all you’re trying to do is the right thing and earn a living feels like a gut punch. Airport trips are vital and irreplaceable for taxi drivers as you can earn more on a longer distance trip, and because they can set the tone for visitors for the rest of their stay in the city. Drivers are proud to be our city’s ambassadors. We commend the Port Authority and Executive Director Garcia for this commitment to cab drivers and the riding public we proudly serve.”
