In this region, nothing is more precious than a New York minute. In backed-up traffic, aboard a delayed train, dodging pedestrian traffic on a congested sidewalk, there’s never enough time.
Unless, that is, you’re a cab driver serving John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
In the unlikeliest of places, for one of the hardest-working, most time-crunched professions in the city, the Port Authority may have pulled off a rare feat: giving cabbies hours back in their day without losing any business. That’s the high-tech magic drivers have experienced using the agency’s new virtual taxi dispatch app, the latest in a series of experience and amenity upgrades the agency has introduced for the thousands of yellow cab drivers who provide a vital link between the airports and the region.
“It’s helpful for us,” said driver Bavindei Singh. “We have two or three hours where we can go home and rest. It’s much easier.”
Before the app, cab drivers spent two to three hours waiting at the airport’s central taxi hold queue. Drivers can now claim their spot in that line virtually – giving them the ability to pick up other fares throughout the city, spend more time at home or with family, or do anything else while they wait. Drivers receive an alert to head to the airport as they reach the front of the virtual queue, shortening the time spent physically waiting in the airport’s hold area from several hours to just a few minutes.
“Our focus is on what we can do to make (the drivers’) workday better,” said Christopher Kaddo, the Port Authority’s manager of ground transportation in the Aviation Department. “I think we have a really unique opportunity to do that in a creative and innovative way.”
Adoption has been swift since the app’s rollout earlier this year, after the Port Authority conducted outreach in 12 languages to reach the region’s exceedingly diverse driver community. Over just a few months, more than half of the drivers serving JFK have utilized the app, according to Andrew Liebowitz, a senior manager in the Port Authority’s aviation department.
The app is available through the Apple App store for iPhones and Google Play market for Android phones. It’s only available to cabs licensed by the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission. It’s not available to Uber and Lyft drivers, as they operate through a separate system and don’t use the central taxi hold.
For some drivers, the app has had a profound impact.
“I got an email from a taxi driver thanking us because the app allowed him to drive his daughter to school for the first time in eight years,” said Colleen Kennedy, a planner in the Port Authority’s aviation department. “I loved to hear that. That was probably one of the most heartfelt moments, where I realized this is really impacting people’s lives.”
Drivers can pair it with other informational resources around real-time activity and wait times at the region’s airports.
“We want to offer as many tools as possible to help drivers make informed choices about when and how to serve the airports,” Liebowitz said. His team is currently exploring the feasibility of introducing the app at LaGuardia and Newark airports as well.
Alongside more robust informational resources, drivers have seen physical amenities at the airport continue to grow, including restrooms, food and drink offerings, and prayer spaces. The hold areas at LaGuardia and JFK are also frequented by officials from the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission as it conducts outreach on industry initiatives, including building up the fleet of accessible cabs in the five boroughs. A new restaurant, the Yellow Cab Café, is expected to open at JFK’s taxi hold area by the end of the year.
“We’ve been really happy to see these become community gathering spots where drivers are catching up, grabbing a bite to eat, and getting their questions answered,” Kaddo said. “Our goal is to provide key resources, which aren’t always readily accessible to the driver community, making this a one-stop shop for them.”
Drivers who serve the Port Authority’s airports have taken notice.
“The restrooms are nice and clean, and the food is good,” said driver Lovejeet Singh. “I get coffee every day. Sometimes I’ll get a bagel or a cake, but definitely coffee every time.”
Getting a vote of confidence from one of the city’s most tireless, diverse and challenging workforces has meant a lot to Liebowitz.
“Cabbies are some of the hardest working people in the city,” he said. “To hear the drivers say these amenities have made a meaningful difference in their quality of life, and they’re better prepared to serve our millions of airport passengers visiting and living in the New York-New Jersey area, that really connects with the idea of keeping the region moving.”
