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New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to raise metered fares by 23%, the first such increase in a decade.
Anticipated to go into effect before the end of the year, the price hikes include a 10-cent increase in base fares for yellow and green taxis, from $2.50 to $3.
A livestream of the TLC meeting shows that unit rates are also rising from 50 cents to 70 cents, while rush-hour and overnight fees are going up to $2.50 and $1, respectively.
Just in time for the holidays, airport-bound trips will also see a price jump. According to Tuesday’s vote, a cab to JFK Airport will cost an additional $18, up to $70 from $52. A taxi to LaGuardia, on the other hand, will rack up an additional $5 charge.
At Tuesday’s meeting, a representative for TLC explained the reasoning behind the airport price increases, noting that drivers are not paid for the long stretches of time they spend waiting in terminal holding lots.
“So by increasing those fares, we hope to compensate them for that downtime,” the representative said.
Traditional cabbies are not the only ones impacted by the price hikes, as the increases include a 7% per-minute pay raise for Uber and Lyft drivers, while per-mile compensation will spike by 24%.
The TLC first announced the proposed fare increases in the September, stating that the changes would increase driver revenue by 33% based on 2019 passenger levels.
“Raising taxi fare rates and minimum pay for high-volume drivers is the right thing to do for our city,” TLC Commissioner David Do said in a statement to The Post Wednesday. “This is the first taxi fare increase in ten years, and these raises will help offset increased operating expenses and the cost of living for TLC-licensed drivers. We are confident that today’s unanimous Commission vote will keep our taxi and FHV fleets sustainable and ready to serve New Yorkers.”
Speaking to amNewYork in the wake of the vote, cab driver Richard Chow applauded the Commission’s decision.
“I am driving for 17 years. This is my only second raise in these years,” he told the outlet. “The increase will be manageable for the public I believe, but for the drivers, it will help us manage our life and our health. We need to pay for our food and for gasoline, and also our children’s future and our own retirement.”
While the New York Taxi Workers Alliance is reportedly pleased with the TLC’s decision, the union is still seeking further raises so that drivers can take home $25 per hour.
“After a year of all drivers having to choose between food and fuel, and a decade of not just stagnation but loss for yellow cab drivers in particular, we’re relieved to see the raise be voted on,” NYTWA executive director Bhairavi Desai told amNewYork. “We fought hard for it, and driver unity delivered for all drivers across the industry. The work still remains to get driver income to $25 per hour after expenses.”
The Independent Drivers Guild, which is funded in part by Uber and represents rideshare drivers, also commented on the price hike, citing skyrocketing fuel prices as a major obstacle facing drivers.
“Gas prices and expenses have soared the last two years, and rideshare drivers are struggling to make ends meet,” IDG president Brendan Sexton explained to the outlet. “This increase to the minimum pay is critical and an important step to protect the 80,000 rideshare drivers who keep our city moving. We want to thank the Taxi and Limousine Commission staff, Commissioner Do and the Adams Administration for listening to drivers and taking action.”
The NYTWA and the IDG did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for a comment.
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