New Yorkers might a new wave of food trucks and carts on the streets soon, as the City Council considers legislation to gradually double the number of food vendor permits issued by the city.
The proposal calls for spreading the new permits over seven years, giving 600 more street vendors the right to start doing business legally each year, the New York Times reported. The city’s Health Department has kept the number of permits it issues at about 4,235 since the early 1980s. The cap has prompted many venders to resort to buying permits on a black market, where the full-time permits can cost as much as $25,000, the Times reported. Street vendors currently pay $200 for a city permit that can be renewed indefinitely. The proposed legislation would hike the fee to $1,000 for a two-year permit.
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and several council members are sponsoring the legislation as a means of curtailing the black market for permits.
City may permit more food trucks, street vendors
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