The average New York City taxi driver may still be sassy, but will not be required to speak English any longer.
The change is the result of a new law that Mayor Bill DeBlasio signed in April and went into effect on Friday, eliminating the English proficiency exam for taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers.
It is the latest big change for cab drivers as policymakers and regulators try to adapt the city's requirements to demographic and technological changes.
The legislation created a single licence for all taxicab and for-hire vehicles and eliminated the English language proficiency test, according to a New York City Council website.
The council described the requirement as "a significant barrier to entry to driving a taxi" in a statement announcing the bill and other related legislation in January.
New York is home to nearly 144,000 active drivers of medallion cabs, livery cars and other for-hire vehicles, according to a 2016 report from the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Over 90% of those drivers are born outside the United States.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission is working with the Mayor's office on a potential education program that would include English language vocabulary for drivers, a spokeswoman for Commission said.
The new law was part of a broader legislative package that also included a bill to require the Taxi and Limousine Commission to directly administer a health care services programme.
