Updated 06/22/2012 05:21 PM
Bloomberg Signs Off On Taxi Sex-Trafficking Bill
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After some initial hesitation, Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday signed a bill that calls for tougher penalties for taxi drivers who knowingly work with sex traffickers.
The legislation targets drivers who assist traffickers by transporting women to potential customers.
The measure imposes a $10,000 fine on drivers convicted of a felony related to sex trafficking.
Drivers could also lose their licenses.
"This just adds a penalty and I think more than anything else it's the fact that people will now know and talk about it. So, maybe taxi drivers will behave the way your want and so I'm gonna sign the bill," Bloomberg said.
The mayor signed the measure during his weekly morning radio show after putting it on hold earlier this week.
He was considering complaints that drivers could be forced to determine whether a passenger was a prostitute.