There’s truth to the well-traveled (har, har) belief that it can be a Herculean task convincing cabbies to bring passengers from Manhattan home to Brooklyn Heights late at night. I’ve experienced it myself, despite knowing the trick of taking a seat before announcing my destination.
Perhaps sulking over the April approval of livery cabs, taxi drivers are demanding a fare increase of up to 20%—which is supported by the Taxi and Limousine Commission. I think I’ll stick to the subway, thank you.
Fleet owners & drivers are asking for a fare increase of between 16% and 20%, saying that increasing gas prices eat into their bottom line. TLC Commissioner David Yassky deems the request “reasonable.” The limo-loving Bloomberg administration also says it will likely support the fare increase.
A hearing is scheduled at 11 a.m. May 31 at the commission’s 19th-floor headquarters at 33 Beaver Street, to discuss the first “official increase” since 2006—but that’s not quite true. In 2009, a 50-cent surcharge was added by the state Legislature to fund subway and bus service.
Currently, the base taxi fare is $2.50, plus $2 per mile. It’s unclear yet whether the base fare or the fare-rate would increase. The commission said the average fare in January was $11.82 for a 2.76-mile ride. A 20% increase would add $2.50 to that ride.
(Photo: Chuck Taylor/December 2010)
