TLC Celebrates the City’s Safest Drivers and Bases at Gracie Mansion

10th Anniversary Vision Zero Safety Honor Roll Ceremony Recognizes Drivers and Businesses With Outstanding Safety Records

Photos of the event will be viewable here.

New York, NY – Gracie Mansion hosted a special ceremony tonight honoring TLC drivers and bases in recognition of their outstanding commitment to safety and impeccable driving records. The event—known as the Vision Zero Honor Roll—brought together hundreds of drivers who have gone at least five years without any serious crashes, have no traffic violations, and no violations of TLC’s safety related rules.

“As I’ve always said, public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity, and our TLC drivers play a key role in keeping our streets safe,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “We are grateful for their commitment to safety, for their dedication to our city, and for the invaluable service they provide. Thanks to our TLC drivers, we live in a city where anyone can hire a vehicle to get them where they need to go, and 99.9 percent of the time, they’re going to have a positive experience. Thank you for keeping our city safe and keeping us moving.”

“I'm proud that an inaugural ceremony held more than a decade ago to put a spotlight on the true guardians of street safety is now cemented in the traditions of our great City” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “TLC Honor Roll drivers and businesses are the hardest- working safety advocates in the nation.  Every day, every minute and every mile, roadway safety is the unwavering priority-- and it shows in their unblemished record.  These men and women not only make the roads safer for all, they also serve as mentors for all drivers.  On behalf of every person who uses NYC streets, thank you for making our City safe.”

“Making Honor Roll is a formidable achievement, and all New Yorkers should be proud of the drivers we celebrate today. From my limited experience as a TLC driver, I know that it takes patience, concentration, and dedication to safely complete a just single trip. There are no shortcuts to safety, and these drivers have all completed thousands of trips without any significant incidents,” said TLC Commissioner David Do.

This year’s five Featured Vision Zero Honorees include two Nigerian Americans, a Bangladeshi American, and a native of Bushwick, Brooklyn.  The Featured Safest Base is Dav El Boston Coach, from Elizabeth, New Jersey.

“My advice to TLC drivers is to always be confident on the wheel, be articulate, and be patient. Patience is the key word. You have to give other drivers a break, you don’t have to be selfish on the road. Once you are patient, the sky will be your limit,” said TLC’s Featured Safe For-Hire Vehicle Driver, Chika Anthony Ogonnaya.

“All drivers should strive to uphold the standard this year’s honorees have set for safe driving,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “These drivers are Vision Zero heroes. NYC DOT is proud to partner with TLC on educational programming to promote safe driving and we congratulate this year’s honor roll.”

“Our city is always on the move, and these are the men and women who get New Yorkers and millions of visitors to their destinations,” said Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “Excellence behind the wheel does not happen by accident; it takes skill and a dedication to safety. These drivers’ highly commendable efforts continue to reduce traffic collisions and ensure the well-being of passengers and pedestrians alike.”

 “Today, we honor the drivers who ensure New Yorkers reach their destinations safely every day,” said NYC Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “These honorees have shown an unwavering commitment to road safety, setting a standard that all New York drivers should strive to meet. I celebrate their service and extend my deepest gratitude to Commissioner Do and the TLC team for their efforts to recognize and uplift these exemplary drivers.”

The full list of honorees included 8,425 drivers and bases. They have all made at least 1,000 trips during the previous year and gone at least five years without any crashes involving injury or death, and have no traffic violations or violations of TLC safety rules.

They are not only the city’s safest drivers and bases, but represent a diverse group that spans the city and the industry:  

2024 Vision Zero Safety Honorees by the Numbers

• 494 are female
• 149 are EV drivers
• 654 drive yellow taxis, 14 drive green taxis
• 7,520 drive for rideshare companies, 559 drive for smaller FHV bases
• Our wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) honorees completed 800,237 trips in 2023
• 40 bases were honored for their exceptional safety records

Driver residences:

• Bronx 17.73%
• Brooklyn 35.48%
• Manhattan 4.81%
• Staten Island 2.49%,
• Queens 34.13%
• Not in City 5.38%

About the NYC TLC

Created in 1971, NYC TLC is the agency responsible for licensing and regulating New York City's Medallion (Yellow) taxi cabs, for-hire vehicles (community-based liveries, black cars, and luxury limousines), commuter vans, and paratransit vehicles, along with the businesses that operate them. It is recognized as the largest and most active taxi and For-Hire Vehicle regulatory body in the United States.

Over 200,000 TLC licensees complete approximately 1,000,000 trips each day. To operate for hire, drivers must first undergo a background check, have a safe driving record, and complete 24 hours of driver training. TLC-licensed vehicles are inspected for safety and emissions at TLC's Woodside Inspection Facility.

To find out more about the TLC, or to review its rules, regulations, and procedures, we encourage you to visit our official Web site at www.nyc.gov/taxi or contact 311/311 Online.

###