The New York Times has found out that the checkered Ford Crown Victoria is living out its last days in the metropolis. There are two well-deserved cars, and the owners (and drivers in one person) are in trouble with the law, since the maximum permissible seven-year operating life of a taxi has long passed. Authorities could revoke the licenses of both Crown Victorias within two weeks.
The “junior” car was produced in 2011, with 491 thousand miles (790 thousand kilometers) on its odometer, and its owner is Harun Abdullah. Ravinder Sharma’s older 2013 sedan: 550 thousand miles (885 thousand kilometers) on the meter. Both sedans passed the technical inspection, but the drivers ignored the routine check so as not to lose their taxi license. In New York, taxis must not be in operation for more than seven years, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, taxi drivers have been given a relaxation.
Ford Crown Victoria owners face fines of up to $500 and license suspension. Ravinder Sharma hopes to convince the commission to extend the certificate as an exception: there are several months left before reaching retirement age (65 years), so it is not advisable for the driver to buy a new car. Haroon Abdullah would love to upgrade his car, but he can’t afford a Toyota Sienna Hybrid due to his bad credit history.
It seems that one cannot count on the loyalty of the authorities. Taxi Commission spokesman Jason Kersten told The New York Times that the Ford Crown Victoria is “long overdue for retirement.” In the early 2010s, more than half of New York’s yellow taxis were large Ford sedans, but now you can’t earn much on cars with thirsty V8s (fuel consumption of 16 liters per 100 kilometers!).
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