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Taxi Fares Go Up 17 Percent Starting Today, But There Is A Temporary Loophole
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 4, 2012
Modified Sep 4, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 4, 2012
Modified Sep 4, 2012
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The Taxi and Limousine Commission's first taxi fare hike in eight years will begin going into effect today. Some taxi passengers will be charged 50 cents for every fifth of a mile or minute stuck in traffic, a ten cent increase from the current 40 cents. The TLC expects the average fare to rise from nearly $10 to almost $12. Fares between JFK airport and Manhattan will also increase to $52 plus tolls, up from $45. And the Newark airport surcharge will increase from $15 to $17.50. HOWEVER, not all taxis are implementing the increase immediately.
Hacks are not required to recalibrate their meters and update their external markings until their next inspection on September 30th, so for the next few weeks there will still be cabs out there charging the old rates. How many cabbies will charge less than they could be charging more this month? Probably not many. But keep your eyes peeled—if the taxi TV (or the disappearing exterior taxi fare sticker) say 40 cents, you have a winner!
At a packed hearing in July to discuss the looming fare hike, some drivers insisted the fare hike wasn't steep enough. According to the TLC, most drivers currently walk away with $130 after a 12 hour shift (cab drivers at the hearing insisted that many make less than that) and when adjusted for inflation, cab driver income is 24% less than it was in 2006. Gas prices have also risen 45%, and the costs of other goods and services have continued to skyrocket.
Meanwhile, according to the TLC, profits for fleet owners increased $9.6 million for some larger fleets since 2006. Asked about the proposed 17% fare hike, longtime driver Julio Gomez told us, "It's not enough. We need more money. We haven't had a raise in eight years, and after waiting this long, we should get 25%."
The new medallion taxicab rates of fare are as follows:
For trips in New York City:
- $2.50 initial charge (first 1/5 mile);
- $0.50 MTA tax;
- $0.50 per each additional 1/5 mile;
- $0.50 per 60 seconds in stopped or slow traffic;
- $1.00 surcharge from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, excluding holidays;
- $0.50 night surcharge from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.
Trips to/from JFK International Airport and Manhattan:
- $52.00, plus any tolls and/or tip;
- the $0.50 night surcharge shall not be added to this flat rate;
- the $1.00 peak surcharge shall not be added to this flat rate;
- the $0.50 MTA tax SHALL be added to this flat rate.
Trips to Newark Airport:
- the amount shown on the taximeter plus a surcharge of $17.50; and
- all necessary tolls to and from the destination.
Tagged
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John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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