Passage of the Taxi Drivers' Protection Act, which increases the penalties for assault on taxicab drivers, black car and livery drivers, provoked an enthusiastic response from cabbies, who said their needs had been neglected and as a result, they've suffered for a long time. The new legislation fulfills their longstanding expectation for protection and respect.

As reported in Weekly Bangla Patrika last week, the New York State Assembly passed a bill by a vote of 141-1 on June 21. The same bill was later unanimously approved in the State Senate by a vote of 60-0. According to standard practice, the Act will become a Law if the Governor signs it within 10 days.

Hailing this Act, former member of the Taxi Worker's Organizing Committee Osman Chowdhury said that it is not only a warning signal to criminals, but also a milestone for protecting the cab drivers: "MTA workers have had such a law for a long time. Now, we have attained the same level of protection through the enactment of this law. Potential assailants will now be deterred when considering the consequences they will have to face for assaulting cabbies."

Citing examples of how helpless cab drivers were in absence of such law, he said, "Taxi driver Sajedur Rahman was hospitalized in 2005 after being attacked and remains in a vegetative state to date. No one was ever arrested."

Osman Chowdhury recalled the fate of livery driver Humayun Kabir in 2006, who died after being attacked. "There are still no clues to who killed him." Oman Chowdhury pointed out that the "enactment of a law is not enough. Steps will have to be taken to apprehend the criminals. But how will the offenders be caught? And how will the law ensure the security of the drivers? The culprits could be tried and punished if they were instantly caught."

Abu Taleb Chowdhury Chandu, the former President of Bengal Cabby, has driven a cab for the last 17 years. He said, "All the cab driver societies have been waging [a] joint struggle for the last 10 years to get a protective law."

With this end in view, they called on the mayor of New York City, the governor, and state senators and congressmen, and repeatedly exchanged views with them in this regard. This landmark law is the outcome of that movement, explained Chandu, and conveyed his gratitude to all concerned in this effort.

Due to the absence of such a law, "drivers were attacked, wounded, and later died. The assailants slipped away before the police could rush to the spot after getting [the] call," alleged Chandu. "In absence of any law, assailants were released from the court, if any of them [were] ever arrested."

Hailing this new law, Chandu said, "We will now be able to work more securely and serve the City, including the tourists, in a better way. The City will benefit economically," he opined.

Cab driver Jahangir Kabir Talukdar said, "This law is a milestone for the drivers. There was no safety for the drivers before. Many cabbies were wounded and killed on the job not only in the remote areas, but also at the center of the city."

Talukdar said drivers were assaulted and wounded in some city areas, including the Lower East Side, Harlem, and the Bronx. "On many occasions at night, the riders not only refused to pay the fare, but also stole the drivers' money and belongings. In some cases, they even shot at the drivers."

He praised the new law and hoped that, "due to this law, the moral courage of the drivers will be strengthened. The robbers will be careful in dealing with the cabbies. They will no longer dare to lay their hands on the drivers."

Hossain Ahmed, president of the Bengal Cabby Society, said many cabbies were prey to ignominy before this law was passed. "Many riders used to leave the car without paying the fare. They used to engage in illogical altercations and dared to attack us if we asked for taxi fare," he alleged. "Now we shall be able to work without fear."

Engineer Abdul Khaleque, a member of the Basic Islamic Center, an association for cabbies, told the Bangla Patrika that he was longing for protection from such a law, similar to the protection that bus drivers have enjoyed over the years. He conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to the councilmen, state senators, congressmen, the mayor, and the governor for listening to the cabbies' requests and for their role in helping enact this law.

"Everyone will now think regarding the consequence of harassing or beating a taxi driver. I hope a new chapter will open in the life of the drivers through the enactment of this law. This law will upgrade their prestige," she predicted. "This is a great victory for us. I feel, from now on, the police and the attorneys will take appropriate action against any atrocious activity directed toward cab drivers," stated Bhairavi Desai, the executive director of N.Y. Taxi Workers' Alliance.

Kazi Shafiqul Haque Jewel, formerly with Bangladesh Election Commission, expressed his views on the law saying that the enactment of a law is not enough if it is not properly implemented. "Many cabbies were attacked and wounded, which led to their deaths. But the attackers were neither nabbed, nor tried, nor punished," he said. "Still, I welcome this law. It has given us a ray of hope. Though this country is very strict in implementing the law, grave indifference was shown in cases regarding cabbies," he alleged. Cabbies, he said, play a great role in keeping New York City running and moving, and enriching and developing it economically. "So it is the demand of the day that the law must be implemented appropriately to protect the interest of cabbies and ensure their security."