New York cabbies prefer used Ford Crown Vics

A new initiative to replace New York City’s 13,400 taxis with a more fuel-efficient and greener option is being met with some resistance by the taxi drivers who navigate the cars through the city’s busy streets every day.

Although the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission has kicked off its “Taxi of Tomorrow” competition in an effort to find cleaner vehicles, many drivers say they will be sad to see their used Ford Crown Victorias go. The commission hopes to replace the varied models among the NY used cars that cabbies drive with one clean, standard model by 2014, according to USA Today.

Yet Ford has decided to discontinue the Crown Vic, so taxi companies will need to find a new option. The Taxi of Tomorrow competition was launched in order to find a satisfactory alternative. Still, many drivers have nostalgia for the vehicles they have driven for years.

Jana Stroe says she has been driving used Ford Crown Vics for 20 years. “The car is good the way it is,” she told the news source. “We don’t want the hybrid. Hybrids have so many problems. We take a lot of customers from the small cars.”

Many drivers echoed her views, saying that when given the choice between the two, many customers will gravitate toward a roomier vehicle like the Crown Vic over a more compact car. Some drivers even report earning extra money behind the wheel of a Crown Vic.

Whatever the city ends up deciding upon as its new model, tourists can rest assured: the cars will still be painted that famous shade of yellow.