Overview
- Jagjit Singh, a 53-year-old licensed Taxi and Limousine Commission driver, was found unresponsive in his cab after dropping off a fare on Friday, Sept. 11, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
- The New York Taxi Workers Alliance says Singh is the third driver found dead in a cab in roughly three months, following deaths in July and August that union leaders describe as from heart attacks or long‑standing illness.
- At a Sept. 15 West Village vigil for Singh, the union pressed for industry-sponsored health screenings, nurses’ or relief stations at large lots and easier access to benefits while Taxi and Limousine Commission Chair Midori Valdivia pledged solidarity.
- Family members and community groups warn Singh’s widow and twin 10-year-old sons face acute financial insecurity and say language barriers and unfamiliarity with public programs make it hard for immigrant survivors to claim assistance.
- The deaths underscore how medallion economics and low net pay per shift push many drivers to work long hours, and advocates say the story could force city and industry changes if officials translate vows of support into concrete services and relief programs.