To The Editor,
The daily number of accidents and incidents involving taxi vehicles in Monsey and throughout Rockland County has reached an alarming level. What we are witnessing is no longer an occasional issue — it has become a serious public safety crisis affecting our streets, our families, and our community.
While school bus drivers are held to strict state standards, including annual medical certifications and extensive background and safety requirements, many local taxi drivers appear to operate with little meaningful oversight or accountability. Families rely on these services every single day to transport spouses, children, and elderly relatives, yet incident after incident continues making headlines.
Recent cases reported by Monsey Scoop include:
- A taxi driver arrested on DWI and child endangerment charges following an incident on Route 59.
- A Spring Valley taxi driver indicted in a violent kidnapping case.
- A taxi overturning after crashing into parked vehicles on Bluefield Drive, injuring two people.
- A driver charged in a fatal hit-and-run and concealment case after a man was found dead beneath a pickup truck.
- A Ramapo taxi driver ticketed twice in the same day for unlicensed operation.
This pattern cannot continue being ignored.
Beyond the physical danger to the public, there is also a growing financial burden placed on local residents. As accidents increase and insurance claims rise, insurance premiums for private residents throughout the area continue climbing. Taxpayers and families are effectively paying the price for negligence and lack of enforcement.
Taxi company owners must also take responsibility. Every vehicle and every driver operating under a company’s logo should represent safety, professionalism, and accountability. If a company is putting drivers on the road, the company owner should ensure those drivers are properly licensed, properly insured, and operating safely at all times.
Rockland County officials must take immediate action to establish stronger oversight and enforcement before someone else is seriously injured or killed. If local municipalities cannot provide adequate public transportation, they must at minimum properly regulate the transportation systems already operating throughout the community.
Our families, our streets, and our wallets cannot afford more “business as usual.”
Chaim Fried
Monsey
The views expressed in this letter do not necessarily represent those of Monsey Scoop. Have an opinion you’d like to share? Send it to us for review.
God help you if your damages are more than $10,000. Most if not all these taxi companies have their insurance capped at that number.
I have tried several times to reach out to the owner of Arrive, directly and via chaveirim.
These drivers many who dont even speak any english drive like ANIMALS! cutting everyone off and double parking on primary busy 1 way roads. They SIMPLY DON’T CARE.
the drivers TLC permits need to be revoked as well as his (arrive) overall license to operate if he cannot control his drivers. Do they all even have proper drivers licenses and insurance?
When I hear about an accident in this area, I automatically assume (correctly) that at least one Arrive car is involved.
Couldn’t agree more. My son was hit by one of the arrive cabs (tyh he wasn’t hurt).
I find it interesting that people have noticed this taxi situation, but nobody has lamented the poor driving habits and skills in our own communities. Ha-Shem yirachem, there are stories posted nearly every day about serious accidents, overturned cars, injuries, and deaths from auto accidents involving frum drivers from Monsey, Lakewood, Brooklyn, 5 Towns, etc. Hardly a summer goes by without a few devastating crashes in the Catskills involving camp staff and bungalow residents .
Why are young, frum drivers not being properly educated when it comes to driving ? Nobody knows a thing about safe following distances, increased caution and decreased speed when roads are wet, and 18 year olds have no idea that a full 15 passenger van can’t break and swerve the same way a small car does. And absolutely nobody has any patience.
Who are the driving instructors? Why does any parent allow a teen to get behind the wheel, certainly with passengers, until the parent has driven with that teen for several hours in different conditions, and is confident that the teen can drive responsibly? We must do better!
Why are you changing the subject? Everyone knows that if someone’s on a public road, especially a taxi driver, they have a bigger responsibility and need to know what to do. All these incidents show it’s not safe.
Spot on mate, glad someone finally said it; that is the reason why 99% of vehicles in the Monsey area are covered in dents.
On New Hempstead road every male driver I oass is actively using his cell phone, one actually came to a complete stop, blocking 2 lanes while looking down at his phone. This arrogant (you are not nearly as important as you think) and selfish behavior must stop.
I agree there must be full enforcement. I see taxis turning without signaling. Driving like idiots and they beep the horn if I don’t move the first second on a green light. Plus they drive with blockouts of the drivers
MANY MANY heimishe frum drivers also drive without signaling their turns.
This problem is not taxi related.
Nearly all , not only many ,
This is a problem not only for chasidim , but for all/most monsey residents, not signaling ,
Driving test should need to take 50 min to a hour like most of Europe, and many other places ,not the 8 stupid min , it takes here ,
And ,
Besides of knowing how to drive, AKA passing the test, there is a different thing of actually knowing how to behave on the real street with other people, not to go to slow , not to speed , if someone speeds , to use ur brain , and let him pass, signaling when turning , and / or double parked , , not use high beams at night , etc etc , the list goes on and on ,
Basically in one word , please know how to drive , !!
Arrive taxi drivers are the same “mushchis” (A.K.A vulgar low lives) as they were before only now instead of using tinted windows they now use blackout screens both day and ……night! Take a guess why someone would use blockout screens on the driver windows even at night….don’t think too hard.
Many of them, especially the drivers using blockout screens are the same guys that caused the original uproar about inappropriate behavior and vulgar language which lead to the rise of Arrive taxi company are still driving these taxi under a new company cover.
Arrive was and is a money grab. Not sufficiently insured as the convenience of the owner and arrive taxi drivers to lower their cost and at the expense of every of heimishe, litvisha Jew in the Monsey area. Doesn’t sound like such a “service” to me to rip off fellow Jews, cause them increase insurance premiums and laugh in their face all the while understanding that the population here depends on taxis due to chosen lifestyle.. It’s only a matter of time before the rules of the game will change!
This doesn’t address the root of the problem. Who in Ramapo and Rockland County at large is responsible for allowing endless illegal immigrants to take over our town?? I would assume there are some powerful real estate developers (or taxi operators??) who are advocating for politicians to look the other way. It’s absurd that a beautiful town with quiet peaceful neighborhoods (and I assume overwhelming majority republican) is allowing this to continue unchecked. It’s time for a new group of politicians that actually care about the people and the tens of thousands of people they represent.
What is happening on the roads of Monsey and throughout Rockland County is beyond unacceptable — it is a full-blown public safety disaster.
Day after day, taxi vehicles are involved in crashes, DWIs, reckless driving incidents, hit-and-runs, child endangerment cases, unlicensed operation arrests, and violent criminal investigations. Yet somehow the system keeps operating as if this is normal. It is not normal. It is dangerous, reckless, and deadly.
School bus drivers are forced to meet strict state mandates, background checks, annual medical clearances, training requirements, and constant oversight. Meanwhile, many taxi operators appear to be driving our streets with little accountability, little enforcement, and little regard for the safety of the public.
The headlines speak for themselves:
• Taxi driver arrested for DWI and child endangerment on Route 59
• Spring Valley taxi driver indicted in a violent kidnapping case
• Taxi overturns after smashing into parked vehicles on Bluefield Drive injuring multiple people
• Driver charged in a fatal hit-and-run concealment case
• Ramapo taxi driver ticketed twice in one day for unlicensed operation
How many more warnings does this county need before officials finally act?
This crisis is now impacting every resident in Rockland County. Families are endangered. Pedestrians are endangered. Children are endangered. And taxpayers are footing the bill through skyrocketing insurance premiums caused by constant crashes and claims.
Taxi company owners cannot hide behind excuses anymore. If your company logo is on the vehicle, then the responsibility is yours. Every driver should be properly vetted, properly licensed, properly insured, and held to the highest safety standards — period.
Enough of the excuses. Enough of the selective enforcement. Enough of the political silence.
Rockland County officials and local municipalities must immediately launch aggressive oversight, enforcement crackdowns, safety inspections, licensing reviews, and accountability measures before more innocent people are seriously injured or killed.
Our roads are not demolition derbies.
Our families are not collateral damage.
And the people of Rockland County should not have to live in fear every time a taxi pulls onto the road.
The time for “business as usual” is over.
Man these arrive taxis are DANGEROUS!!!!
I’ve had multiple occasions where I drove into a huge pile of snow or the grass just to avoid an accident with these guys!!
They drive well under the speed limit.. too slow. They cause so much traffic on major roads by waiting for customers. It’s horrible. We need something to change. These Mexicans needs to get off our roads!
My wife was involved 3 times in a accident with Arrive drivers. 2 times she wasn’t hurt but one time her head was bumped. Most of the Arrive drivers I wouldn’t trust driving a tricycle bike.. let alone a car!
So let her drive her own car. Your oppression is what’s causing this.
I was rearened by an arrive taxi I reached out to arrive and was told that each car is owner operated and they have ZERO liability on what happens… They keep advertising that they are the safe option but they are no different than any of the other crazy taxis in the area. This is beyond dangerous and nothing is being done about it! I was also told I can’t go directly to their insurance as there is no phone number listed so I have to list my accident with my insurance which will raise my rates for literally being stopped at a red light and the taxi driver hitting my stopped car… and no he wasn’t even issued a ticket!
My exact experience as well!!
I was rearened by an arrive taxi I reached out to arrive and was told that each car is owner operated and they have ZERO liability on what happens… They keep advertising that they are the safe option but they are no different than any of the other crazy taxis in the area. This is beyond dangerous and nothing is being done about it! I was also told I can’t go directly to their insurance as there is no phone number listed so I have to list my accident with my insurance which will raise my rates for literally being stopped at a red light and the taxi driver hitting my stopped car… and no he wasn’t even issued a ticket! Maybe if the taxi companies had to take some responsibility they would actually care!
As a former driving instructor, I can tell you that many of these taxi drivers do not have a driver’s license, but only hold a learner’s permit. They believe that since they have a driver’s license from their country of origin (maybe) they can drive here. More enforcement is definately needed, both by local and state authorities.
Some latin American countries do issue international license it should be enough to drive here with a permit.
If we all call arrive and demand that they take out insurance and not allow them to continue with this owner operator system. They will have no choice but to do something.
We are all a bunch of scared people and not willing to stand up for our rights. They are after all a company that relies on us for their business. If we boycott, or threaten to boycott and demand that they take out insurance for anybody who drives under their logo. They will have no choice but to oblige.
I propose that right now we demand that arrive takes out insurance to cover any of the drivers that operate under their name.
I Really think that the only solution is boycott arrive. As they don’t care what their driver’s are doing on the road. And they probably bribe chaveirim and local authorities. To turn a blind eye.
It isn’t only Arrive, so no need to pinpoint on anyone specific .
Looking thru pictures of accidents involving taxi’s, it’s nof always Arrive.
Not every Arrive taxi makes accidents, but every single accident in Monsey has an Arrive taxi involved. Fact!!
Mendel Neiman – STEP UP AND TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY OR WE WILL SHUT YOU DOWN!
When dangerous driving becomes constant and predictable, responsibility shouldn’t stop with the driver behind the wheel. Owners who hire unsafe drivers, fail to maintain vehicles, pressure drivers to rush, or ignore complaints create a system where accidents become inevitable. If a company repeatedly allows unsafe conditions, critics argue the owner is enabling the danger.
People shouldn’t have to fear:
* reckless speeding in residential neighborhoods,
* illegal stops and pickups,
* distracted or aggressive driving,
* poorly maintained vehicles,
* or drivers operating without proper enforcement.
The public has every right to demand stricter enforcement, tougher inspections, license suspensions, and real accountability for companies that repeatedly endanger the community.
At the same time, it’s important to avoid blaming entire ethnic or religious groups for the actions of specific companies or drivers. Criticism should stay focused on safety, accountability, and enforcement — not identity.
i reached out multiple times to arrive and local police departments they simply dont care!!!!!!!!!!!
EVERY ACCIDENT IS WITH ARRIVE!!!!!!!!
People are quick to focus on the negative, but let’s also recognize the positive.
Who remembers when taxis in Monsey had no cameras, no tracking, and barely any accountability? [Arrive](https://arrive.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) changed the industry completely. They brought technology, tracking, safety systems, and a much more organized structure to transportation in our community.
And let’s be realistic — when a company handles close to 30% of the cars in a town with overcrowded streets and rough roads, issues are bound to happen. That’s the reality of scale.
Instead of only attacking one company, maybe it’s time to also focus on fixing the bigger infrastructure and traffic problems in Monsey.
And personally, Mendy Neumann is one of the nicest and most responsible people I know. He takes responsibility, cares about the community, and has done a lot to improve the industry.
I used to drive for car service here in Monsey.
I know, first hand, what a hassle it was to obtain the village of Spring Valley taxi permit. ( i don’t know about Town Of Ramapo procedures of obtaining a town permit, as it came about after my days.)
So what good are all the permits, if there is 0 enforcement?
I don’t know why this seems to be a vendetta against one company. What happened, someone did not pay their bakshish? This should be oriented towards all taxis in town.
Elon musk robo taxis will solve this problem
Bigger issue is the crazy overdevelopment and roads not built to handle this kind of traffic. First stop should be to enforce the zoning laws, which are there for a reason. But we’re too late for that. Monsey had already been ruined. The streets can’t handle the volume.
Hey, if you don’t like how people drive in Monsey, stay off the sidewalks.
It’s not only the taxi driver the school bus drivers are reckless also would not put my children on the school bus when I see the driver talking on his cell phone but all school bus drivers do they think that the buses are big so they can cut you off whenever they want to
100% true. I see school bus drivers constantly on the phone. They cut you off so often that I started going slower when I see one coming out of a side street. They also pass stop signs way too much.
Might a part of the solution be to let the women drive? I don’t hear anyone talking about the many incidents of inappropriate behavior by some of the drivers
While I agree the the taxis are a horror, the buses are horrific and even more dangerous due to their size. Being cut off by a bus pulling out of a side street onto a main road is a daily occurrence. The same is with (mostly chassiddish, sorry but that’s the truth) drivers who think that the world was created for them and think that they always have the right of way when they don’t. The maneuvers I see are downright dangerous and completely inconsiderate. When there is a long line at a light and a driver uses the wrong side of the road to bypass the line and then cuts into the front of the line from a left turn only lane is chutzpah and dangerous. Even worse is when the person in front stops because the light is turning red and a driver in the left turn lane pulls a maneuver of making a right turn through the red by cutting in front of the car that stopped for the light. Anytime someone needs to hit their brakes because you are pulling out in front of them from a side street means that you violated their right of way and are in the wrong. You don’t have the right to stop traffic that has the right of way because you don’t have the patience to wait for when traffic clears for you to continue.
I live in a mixed area in Chestnut ridge and I see the yeshivishe olem doing the same so stop blaming chassidim all day long.
Yes, taxi drivers have been involved in many accidents and I agree with the writer on that. But they are far from being the only culprits. So many people driving recklessly these days. People think that traffic laws don’t apply to them, that their time is more valuable than everyone else’s, that stop signs are optional, that driving against traffic is ok and that using the turning lane to get ahead on the going-straight lane is not a problem. We have a serious safety problem and I think one of the root causes is just people being selfish.
With all due respect to the letter writer,
I sit on Monsey/Spring Valley roads for a big chunk of the day, according to you one would think that the taxi drivers are the problem which is so partly true, the regular car driver is on the phone texting & talking with Zero idea what’s on their surroundings, it’s just easy to blame the taxi driver since they’re more visible and stand out & can easily be identified as opposed to the regular car which is just another car, it’s clearly written on their vehicle that it’s a Taxi, you know when you pass a taxi but when a regular car driver does something wrong there’s noone to blame, it’s horrendous how people behave when driving, it’s amongst us as well just as the taxi drivers, I see it all day every day
Let the women drive themselves, 80% of taxis will not be needed. A woman driving herself to do errands will go and come back home. The taxi driver drives around all day, oftentimes under the speed limit, hanging around parking lots, blocking the traffic flow, hoping to get a call. Apart from the fact that it would help the community getting most of these cars off the road, there have been multiple incidents where girls/ladies have been spoken to or worse inappropriately. There are massive tznius/ yichud issues involved also.
HOW ABOUT WE ALL PEOPLE AS DRIVERS START DRIVING LIKE MENCHIN AND WITH RESPECT? INSTEAD OF ALWAYS BEING IN A RUSH, SPEEDING, DISREGARD FOR PEDESTRIANS, ILLEGAL PASSING, ETC?!?
Thanks to Joe Biden many migrants who made a beeline from the border to Spring Valley are from 3rd World countries who emptied out their prisons & mental institutions!
The taxis mostly mirror the driving of the locales.
And it comes with petch.
I was struck by an arrive taxi while stopped at a red light minding my own business. The taxi was speeding above 50 mph and struck my vehicle out of nowhere. Unfortunately, the insurance most of them use is insolvent (basically they have no money).
Look it up! It’s called ATIC. They don’t have the money to pay the claims. https://www.blackcarnews.com/article/fhv-insurance-update-the-ongoing-saga-of-atics-insolvency
While some Uber and Lyft drivers use them too, the safeguards that uber and Lyft have in place prevent the level of crisis we have here in Monsey.
After my story, I began reaching out to people and posting on my status to learn about others experience. The response was crazy. Like this comment section hundreds of people were telling me stories of.Accidents, injuries and unpaid claims that are being swept under the rug.
At night, the drivers often “lend” out or rent out the vehicles to their friends to get around, and we are left with hundreds of unlicensed drivers on streets. I was told DIRECTLY by SVPD officers that they intentionally don’t pull many of them over because they do not have licenses, and for the amount of paperwork it takes to process them, and then nothing actually happens to the driver or taxi so it is not worth the headache. The owner of the vehicle just claims that they didn’t give the driver permission, but doesn’t want to press charges, letting them both off the hook.
Let’s remember that arrive was started by a mysterious “community awareness” campaign that took all the other (non-issue) taxi companies out of business.
While people are lame as the community striving, it doesn’t come close to the crisis we are seeing with the taxis. Hopefully something will be done, but sadly, I doubt it.
There is a lot being said, and we understand why people feel strongly about safety. But when serious accusations are repeated without full context or facts, it creates fear instead of solutions and that is not responsible.
Arrive was created in response to serious incidents in the community at a time when there was no structured system, no oversight, and no real accountability in local transportation. With the guidance and awareness of rabbanim and community leadership, the goal was to build structure, visibility, and responsibility where it did not exist before.
Arrive is a technology platform connecting riders with independent owner operator drivers. We do not own vehicles or employ drivers directly. However, we have invested heavily in building real systems of oversight including tracking, dispatch controls, internal review processes, and evolving driver standards to bring accountability into a space that previously lacked it.
We have a dedicated office of heimishe yingeleit, many of them bilingual, working constantly to handle calls, complaints, and sensitive situations. They take this responsibility personally. Much of what they deal with cannot be shared publicly due to confidentiality, but it is real work happening every day to protect and support the community. It is not accurate or fair to dismiss that with broad accusations.
On accidents and insurance, like the entire industry, incidents are handled through the driver’s insurance as required by law. At the same time, when issues are brought to us, they are reviewed and addressed through our internal systems. We do not ignore problems. We deal with them, often quietly and responsibly.
It is also important to be honest about reality. Monsey has experienced rapid growth, increased traffic, and broader driving challenges across all vehicles. A visible transportation network operating at scale will naturally be noticed more, but that does not make it the sole cause of every issue on the road.
We are seeing a repeated pattern where pictures or posts are circulated online and conclusions are immediately drawn that an Arrive driver is at fault, often without any facts or investigation. That kind of behavior is reckless. It spreads misinformation, fuels unnecessary panic, and unfairly assigns blame before the truth is known. Every incident deserves to be evaluated based on actual facts, not assumptions.
Shutting down structured systems does not remove demand. It removes oversight.
We have worked hard to keep pricing affordable for the community while continuing to invest heavily in technology, processes, equipment, and safety improvements. That commitment is ongoing.
Behind the scenes there have been numerous situations where Arrive stepped in to assist, protect, and support individuals in ways that will never be public. Rabbanim and askanim are aware of many of these efforts.
We are here, we are invested, and we are committed to improving.
If there are specific concerns, we welcome direct communication so they can be reviewed and addressed properly. Constructive engagement leads to solutions. General accusations do not.
Joel Gratt
CEO
info@arrivemonsey.com
@Joel Gratt
Couldn’t have said it better. The amount of money invested and that continues to be invested to make Arrive the safest and most efficient taxi company is unsurpassed by any other taxi company in Rockland & Orange County.
A fan of your work and dedication to improving the taxi industry in Monsey and surrounding areas.
Emanuel D.
@Joel Gratt,
You can start by making sure that any “independent” car driving with your business name plastered over it only has a driver who is legal, speaks the language and is licensed with real insurance. You can also penalize these drivers for not following traffic laws.
Just as a follow up @Joel Gratt,
This week alone, I was was backing out of a spot in Wesley kosher and one of YOUR “Independent drivers” who wasn’t even on the road when I started decided that it was worth it fir him yo juat cut me off behind me.
Second there are STOPPED, empty of your “independent drivers” sitting on the corner blocking any cars from safely turning into or out of the street.
In ALL these cases the “independent drivers” had privacy blockers on their driver’s side window. These are both illegal and are done to obscure the driver’s identity.
They triple park in a no standing zone in front of scheiners and they stop on west maple blocking a one lane main artery with a double yellow line.
Prohibit thise behaviors above….as a start.
Nothing and nobody is perfect, especially in a growing community with so much traffic and movement. But there’s a big difference between chaos with no accountability and people genuinely trying to build more structure, responsibility, and oversight. I also think Arrive deserves credit for the tremendous work they’ve done in making the community more functional, accessible, and connected for so many people every single day.