New York State Assemblyman Guillermo Linares has outlined his plan to help protect outer borough livery cabs.

As soon as I heard that Ruben Diaz Jr., Bronx Borough President, was selected by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to give recommendations on how to legalize pickups by livery cars in the outer boroughs, I called my colleague and made an appointment with representatives of bases and livery drivers.

The Bronx Borough President received us that day and listened attentively to the concerns that were presented.

Our message was clear: to separate livery permits from the sale of medallions for yellow cabs, allowing livery cabs to provide the service they've been providing for 40 years to 6 million residents across the city. This is an important first step to preserve thousands of jobs and small businesses in our communities, and in many of the districts we represent.

We thank the Honorable Diaz Jr. for hearing our request, and including it was key in what he recommended to the city and state legislature.

But we also made clear that if the bases are to continue to exist and thrive, and drivers to earn their daily bread, they need to pick up passengers on the street and through calls. If picking up on the streets were enough to make a living, the yellow cabs would be in our communities and we know they are not! The arguments being used to prevent the double use by liveries are rebuttable.

Prohibiting livery drivers from accepting passengers from street hails and pre-arranged calls ignores the reality of a system that has served our community for four decades. Practice confirms that it works.

Second, to think that drivers will not pick up the passengers in prearranged calls because they will be distracted by street hails ignores the honesty and punctuality of our drivers.

Third, suggesting that the newly created insurance fund will go bankrupt ignores that when we change the law, we will then change the guidelines for the fund.

We cannot support a plan that does not allow dual use; it would be a death sentence for a large percentage of the bases operating in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan.

We will continue working hard to develop a fair, affordable and effective plan.

Guillermo Linares is a New York State assemblymember for the 72nd District.