A Queens assemblyman wants to toughen penalties for people who assault cab drivers.
Assemblyman Ron Kim first introduced a bill four years ago that would make assaulting a for-hire driver an automatic felony under state law. Kim gathered with drivers who had been victims of assault Monday at Flushing Town Hall.
He says his bill would bring assaults on cab drivers in line with crimes against MTA employees.
“If you attack a public transit worker, a bus driver, EMT worker it's an automatic felony and the public understands that,” Kim said. “All we're asking is to extend the same kind of protection for these drivers who are working the late night shifts to make sure they feel protected.”
Kim says he's re-introducing the bill in response to several recent late-night assaults on cab and livery drivers.