he Business Behind TLC Plates: Who Controls Them and How Much Drivers Pay to Work
The Business Behind TLC Plates: Who Controls Them and How Much Drivers Pay to Work Public data shows thousands of active licenses concentrated under a small number of registered names, weekly rentals that can exceed $600, and drivers paying to use a plate they will never own. By TaxiSocial | Investigation updated October 13, 2026 To work legally with Uber, ...
Does the TLC Protect Drivers—or the Market Power of Large Fleets?
New York has more than 104,000 active FHV vehicles, yet an independent driver can rarely obtain a new license. We examine who controls the plates and who benefits from scarcity. By TaxiSocial | Data updated October 2026 New York City has 104,680 active for-hire vehicles. Yet an independent driver attempting to license a personal vehicle today will probably find the ...
From Vision Zero to Unequal Punishment: New York Monitors Law-Abiding Drivers While Others Evade the System
The city has multiplied cameras, fines, and lower speed limits for people whose vehicles are properly registered. Yet for years, it has allowed fake plates, questionable out-of-state registrations, and false addresses to undermine that same enforcement system. By the TaxiSocial Editorial Team This story begins in Sweden, but our protest is directed at New York. In 1997, the Swedish Parliament ...





