A dozen livery cab drivers in New York City are getting bulletproof vests under a pilot program.

The president of the New York Federation of Taxi Drivers, Fernando Mateo, says the vests will provide another layer of protection for drivers in high-crime areas.

He says livery drivers are the target of some 300 robberies and assaults each month. The pilot program is being launched in honor of cab driver Cesar Santo, who was fatally shot in June.

Mateo says the vests were being donated by Security USA.

The Federation also is asking retired NYPD officers to donate their old vests.