It’s Ford time

The city’s Taxi Limousine commissioner, whose agency picks which car models can be yellow cabs, appeared in a Ford Motor Co. commercial this month, the Daily News has learned. Commissioner Matthew Daus shows up in the 90-second ad aired on Ford’s Internet site touting the benefits of Ford’s hybrid vehicles. New York is pushing to make all taxis fuel-efficient hybrids by 2012.

In the commercial, Daus, sitting behind his desk at the TLC’s Manhattan office, says, Whenever we put new cabs on the street, we want to make sure the environment is not adversely affected. Moments later, a New York City taxi fleet owner says: Ford is the only option. They understand the value [of hybrids] to the industry. Daus told The News he didn’t know his statements would be used in a commercial.

He said he thought he’d been interviewed for a documentary about Ford, though he acknowledged he knew the car company financed the documentary. Ford pulled Daus from the ad last week after The News asked about the matter. A company spokesman apologized for the mistake. Documents indicate Daus was aware of potential conflict of interest problems with his appearance in a commercial for a car company.

For example, he refused to sign a release letting Ford use the material in commercials specifically because it would create the appearance that he favored one car brand, TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg said. That was absolutely unacceptable to the commissioner, because he did not want to give the appearance of favoring one company over another, Fromberg said. City employees are prohibited from engaging in any private sector activity that is in conflict with the proper discharge of their duties.