Taxi drivers urge township for parking relief as ticketing and enforcement worry immigrant drivers

Multiple taxi drivers, union representatives and community leaders used the public forum on June 17 to press the Upper Darby Township Council for solutions to parking enforcement and ticketing that they say disproportionately affects taxi drivers.

"Taxi is not a joke — it’s a need in the community," Parji Singh said, identifying themself as vice president of the taxi union and saying the group represents roughly 600 drivers in Upper Darby. Singh asked the township for a permanent parking solution and said many drivers use a single vehicle both to earn a living and to transport family members.

Other speakers described repeated citations for parking in front of their homes, said tickets are unaffordable for drivers who live paycheck to paycheck, and asked council to distinguish between large commercial vehicles (box trucks, tow trucks) and taxis that function as family‑income vehicles. Several speakers said ticketing enforcement threatens immigrant drivers and urged council to work with police to find alternatives.

Mayor Brown and staff responded in the meeting by pointing people to the police department for enforcement issues. "Parking enforcement is controlled by our police department and Lieutenant Geray in particular," a staff member said; the mayor asked speakers to obtain Lieutenant Geray’s contact information for follow‑up.

What happens next: Councilors and staff did not enact immediate policy changes at the June 17 meeting. Several drivers said they would provide documents to council; the mayor and administration directed residents to police and LNI (Licenses, Inspections & Neighborhoods) staff for case‑level follow‑up.

Why it matters: Speakers framed the question as one of equity and public safety: taxi drivers argued that parking flexibility is essential to household income and that enforcement practices should account for differences between taxis and larger commercial vehicles.