New York City 'Livery Cabs' Turn Green

It doesn't mean that taxi cabs in the Big Apple will be more environmentally friendly, but for people who live or travel in the outer boroughs, the streets will nevertheless become more friendly. The city has given the green light to allow passengers to hail cabs in parts of NYC other than Manhattan. And yep, the cabs are green. We're talking about the actual color green.

As long as there have been taxis, there has been a very prominent distinction in the world of New York City cabs – if you're in Manhattan, you can easily pick up one of those iconic yellow cabs on pretty much any street corner. But if you're out in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island, you're stuck with the less regulated, non-yellow taxis. Often referred to as "gypsy cabs," these vehicles are officially known as livery cabs and they are an important part of the Big Apple's non-Manhattan economy.

Now, licensed cabbies who want to be an official livery cab driver can take their vehicle to pretty much any auto shop to have it painted the new official color, which Mayor Michael Bloomberg said is "easy on the eyes and easy to pick out from a distance in traffic." Currently, livery cabs are black and often difficult to distinguish among normal traffic. Also, because there's nothing to really make them stand out, the market of illegal cab drivers in the outer boroughs is a significant problem.

[via Huffington Post]