A mid-level New York appeals Court has given taxi owners permission to bring their challenge to the Taxi of Tomorrow program to the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court.

The ToT would require most cab owners to purchase a taxi made by Nissan Motor Co. Traditionally, a taxi owner could use any car that met TLC specifications.

The plan has been challenged by the Greater New York Taxi Association and others, which claimed that the commission could not force taxi operators to buy specific vehicles. Last October, a state supreme court justice said the TLC overstepped its authority in requiring purchases of the NV200, but an appeals court reversed the ruling. The order today allows the  state's highest court to decide, probably early in 2015.