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Dollar Vans. What is a Dollar van?. It is a Semi-Formal Transportation Dollar vans currently serve West Indian neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens and tend to be staffed by West Indians themselves.
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What is a Dollar van? • It is a Semi-Formal Transportation • Dollar vans currently serve West Indian neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens and tend to be staffed by West Indians themselves. • Dollar Vans are similar to por puestos in South America, tap-taps in Haiti, and matatus in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Dollar vans sometimes charge more than a dollar.
New York is distinguished from all other American cities by its use of public transportation. While nearly 90% of Americans drive to their jobs, public transit is the overwhelmingly dominant form of travel for New Yorkers. • 1980 (11 Days) and the 2005 (3 Days) Transit Strike.
Why is the City punishing them? • The MTA and its Union feel it is a threat to the regular bus service, which often fails to meet the needs of the working poor, especially those who live in Black and Hispanic communities. • Local Law 115 which was enacted in 1993, giving the City Council veto power over the ability of the Taxi and Limousine Commission to issue licenses to the dollar vans. The law went a step further and made it illegal for the vans to pick up passengers along bus routes.
Is It Really a Dollar? • During 2002 Bus Strike in Jamaica, 50,000 people were being charged $1.25 while the MTA at that time was charging $1.50 • These days it appears to be $2.00
Where To Find Dollar Vans • Dollar vans are generally found in West Indian neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn • In Queens they can be found in Jamaica (starting point), Springfield Gardens, Rosedale, Laurelton, and Cambria Heights and other neighborhoods in South east Queens. • In Brooklyn they can be found in the Flatbush and Crown Heights sections. They operate along Flatbush and Utica avenues. • They operate along MTA bus routes. • The drivers stand outside of the buses and announce their destinations e.g. 5 going to Green Acres.
Dollar Vans and their positive effects • Cheaper then transit system. • Reliable for all types of inconveniences. • Follow same route as MTA
Reliability • Dollar vans can be dependent on in situations such as.. • Strikes • Snow Storms • High volume of people on bus
People save more on dollar van rides • MTA service is currently $2.00/ride • Risk of price inflation exists in any moment
Provides same service as MTA bus • Dollar vans take similar routes as MTA bus • People can still get to destination without having to take different routes.
Dollar Vans • Dollars Vans are consider a threat to public transportation of New York City. • These Vans steals revenues generated from rider originally from mass transportation.
Profit Takers • Stealing revenues from mass transportations, public workers (bus drivers, subway operators) could lose their jobs. • Dollar van made profit most when public transportations shuts down i.e. strikes or snow storms
Illegal • Many of the operators for dollar vans aren’t licensed to operated it. • If anything where to happen it would be very difficult to sued the drivers • There are about 5,000 of these Van being rid by 40,000 people everyday • Many of the dollar vans are reckless drivers
Accidents waiting to happen • Many of these drivers do not obey traffic law and can be a danger to the comminutes. They can be highly accident prone.