City cabdrivers are feeling the pain at the pump - most have to pony up nearly $50 for gas on a typical day, according to data released by the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
In a one-day study of the driving patterns of more than 10,000 cabs, conducted May 8, the TLC also found most drivers earn about $14.50 an hour, but take home $17.45 if they use hybrid cars.
Using data from the cabs’ global positioning devices, the study estimates the cabbies drove at least 135 miles a day and paid $4.15 a gallon for gas.
Cabbies driving the standard Ford Crown Victoria, which gets only 12 mpg in the city, paid $47 a day for fuel; those using the Ford Escape hybrid, which gets 30 mpg, had to fork over $19 a day.
About 10 percent of city cabs are hybrids, according to TLC data.
The cabs made more than 450,000 trips on the day the TLC chose to study. The drivers earned an average of $274.15 in fares - plus $27.80 in tips, using a conservative estimate of just over 10 percent.
In addition to gas, most drivers also have to lease their cabs. Crown Vic drivers took home $138 at the end of the day, while the hybrid drivers netted $166.
“The data shows that even with our most conservative estimates, drivers continue to comfortably earn much more than a livable wage, despite rising fuel costs,” TLC Commissioner Matthew Daus said.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06032008/news/regionalnews/hacks_feel_gas_pains_113744.htm
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CreditCardCabbie 06.10.08 at 4:47 pm
“drivers continue to comfortably earn much more than a livable wage, despite rising fuel costs,” TLC Commissioner Matthew Daus said.
Our commissioner earn five times more than any cabbie, he have livable salary. Sure we can survive, drive 135 miles a day, working 6-7 days a week.
Blake 06.11.08 at 6:20 pm
well, we might as-well get used to it… Everyone else in the country is getting even more screwed, we should be thankful for what were getting… We actually have an up on this downing economy and people r still complaining… Were lucky we don’t work n the steel industry, look what happened to them. It would happen to us too, we just luck out cause our job can’t b outsourced to another country… Yeah foreigners work for the industry, but its still all taxed n our country… Were lucky, lucky that the people r work is outsourced to live n the us and at least it helps our economy not china, India, Mexico, etc