A pair of terrified TLC inspectors had to run for their lives after an unlicensed driver — who was angry over being stopped — summoned a violent mob of fellow hacks to go on the attack.
Cops are still looking for the rampaging livery drivers who converged at the Bronx intersection during what should have been a routine stop last Wednesday.
The two inspectors wound up fleeing to the safety of their car, and cowered inside as the drivers smashed their rear window with a piece of wood and pounded the car with their feet and fists, according to police sources.
The frightened inspectors shot cellphone images of the attackers (above) and were eventually able to drive off.
The two ran into trouble after pulling over a driver on University Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights just after 6 p.m.
The inspectors had seen the driver pick up a passenger who’d hailed the car from the street, police sources said.
The driver had no TLC plates and no license, according to police sources.
The inspectors began writing a summons — and were just doing their jobs by helping keep the streets safe, TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg told The Post on Wednesday.
“Illegal street hails pose a danger to the public and undermine the work of legitimate for-hire drivers,” he said, stressing that violence against its staffers won’t be tolerated.
“TLC will continue to enforce New York City’s laws against this dangerous activity.”
Drivers counter that TLC agents have been unnecessarily harsh, issuing tickets costing thousands of dollars for infractions including illegal street hails.
“For quite some time, the TLC has been issuing extremely high dollar fines to drivers for illegal street hail and minor infractions. The fines are up to $10,000 and the drivers can’t afford it and immediately go out of business,” said Fernando Mateo, head of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers.
“We are asking the TLC to have a little more respect and a little more consideration and be nicer to drivers.”
The simmering war between the TLC and drivers boiled over in August, when four TLC officers were caught on video apparently choking and wrestling an Uber driver at JFK Airport while trying to arrest him.
Additional reporting by Stephanie Pagones