New York, NY – Thanks to a bill passed yesterday by the City Council, patrons will soon be able to find out why a certain restaurant or deli earned a poor or failing grade from the Department of Health just by using their smartphones, the New York Post reported (http://bit.ly/SjVWas).
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The bill, introduced by Councilman Dan Garodnick (D-Manhattan), passed 46-0 and will require city agencies to place scannable codes, like Quick Response (QR) markers, on all permits, licenses and registrations they issue. The QR code is only necessary when an agency has additional information on its website which is not contained on the public permit. Permits must be placed in the “public view,” which may include behind the bar or at the cash register, while restaurant grades must be “prominently displayed,” usually in the restaurant’s window.
For now, the legislation only affects a few agencies, namely the Department of Health, which regulates restaurants and day-care centers; the Department of Buildings; and the Parks Department, which oversees food carts. The Buildings Department voluntarily began adding QR codes to its permits at construction sites in February 2011. But Councilman Garodnick said that the bill will ultimately impact additional agencies as more records are made available to the public online.
“I think that’s true today,” Gardonick said about the drawbacks of the law. “I don’t think that’s true for the future.” City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said the new technology would assist New Yorkers in making “smart, informed choices and also help us monitor what’s going on in the city.”
The measure will take effect one year after the Mayor signs it into law.
Does the city supply these establishments with the software to create these codes?
Would be a great idea, if anyone actually used QR codes. FAIL.