THE BATTERY, Manhattan (PIX11) -- Two New York City Councilmembers will introduce legislation next week to try to crack down on ticket vendors who target tourists.
Councilmembers Keith Powers and Chris Marte's bill would require licenses for ticket seller operators, instead of individual sellers, and establish stricter penalties and allow for the suspension or revocation of licenses for repeated violations.
They say it would also mandate clear identification for legitimate sellers to prevent impersonation by fraudsters.
PIX11 News has been reporting on the ongoing issue of illegal ticket vendors aggressively steering tourists away from Statue City Cruises, the only authorized seller of tickets to the Statue of Liberty.
Rafael Abreu, with Statue City Cruises, said: "As written, the bill is counterproductive because it will only empower ticket scammers to further manipulate the already horrendous conditions in the park by making them appear legitimate with vests and licenses with the company name on them, both of which can easily be forged."
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