Starting this Sunday, an extra 50-cent surcharge will be added on all taxi rides.
The fare hike was passed by the state Legislature back in May as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $2.3 billion bailout plan.
The money collected will help fund mass transit.
Starting at 12:01 Sunday, all cab fares will include a 50-cent tax – increasing the base taxi fare from $2.50 to $3.
All cabs are required to have a sticker posted on the passenger doors alerting riders of the fare increase.
And although the fare hike was not supposed to take effect until this weekend, the Taxi and Limousine Commission says some cabs mistakenly charged the extra fee on a couple of days last week.
Meters from two suppliers accidentally put the 50-cent surcharge into effect a week early.
The mixup affected 288 meters, and about 4,000 trips were overcharged.
The errors were discovered in time to limit the number of affected cabs to about two percent.
The TLC says it’s made arrangements for the companies who make the meters to refund the overcharges.
If you believe you were overcharged, you can call 311 or submit a claim at nyc.gov/tlc.
Meanwhile, it’s not only taxi riders who will be paying more. Business owners are also sharing the burden.
Monday is the deadline for businesses to file their first quarterly payment of the state’s new .34 percent payroll tax.
The tax applies to businesses within the MTA’s 12 ridership counties, including all of the five boroughs.
Business owners with quarterly payrolls of at least $2,500 are required to pay up.
The MTA is planning another fare hike in 2011 as part of the deal approved by state lawmakers.
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abie 10.30.09 at 6:16 pm
I find it ironic that it has been almost six months since the tax law was passed and most drivers and passengers have been hiding their heads in the sand as if this didn’t happen. Now that it is going into effect they are complaining. Well that’s good but where were they all this time. Perhaps if they complained all along we would have had a chance to reverse this injustice. Perhaps that will yet happen!! Perhaps we can still vote all who made this happen out of the offices they don’t deserve!!
MOHAMMED 11.01.09 at 5:32 pm
GARAGE DISPATCHERS MAKE ME PAY $5 TO GET TAXI,,I DONNT MIND IT BUT THEY FORCE ME THIS FREE COUNTRY HERE
CreditCardCabbie 11.01.09 at 7:16 pm
http://ny1.com/5-manhattan-news-content/news_beats/transit/108143/taxi-fares-to-increase-this-sunday/
hgf 11.03.09 at 6:38 pm
what the hell, we started working for MTA…. state tax , thats a fake cover up name, to fuck us over….when i file my fucken tax, i better not fucken pay state tax like i did last year, this better cover it and i better get money back cause im a student.. … you old people better make ur money fast and get out of this work . they are going to fuck you over month by month.. finish your school young ones, stop fucking up your lives and graduate, or your fucked, and u will end up with bladder and leg problems and not to mention mental and back problems.. enjoy.
ab 11.04.09 at 4:02 pm
u right my brother …we collecting money to the mta ….whos the mta ?????its the city the state whateve ….they all one body ….
aamir 11.10.09 at 2:11 am
ummm, smart cabbies are talking, let me listen to you
Driver 11 11.11.09 at 6:40 pm
Here is how much money they gonna make from 50 cents:
13000 taxi cabs
2 shift per one taxi cab
30 trips for each cab
356 days per year
total is:13000.2.30.356.($1/2)=$138,840,000/year.it is 138 millon and 840 thousands dollars
is an average of $39,000 per day .wich is a sallary of a teacher or police officer, so this program will help provide the salary of 356 teachers in nyc.
First Prius Cabbie 12.04.09 at 3:04 am
The 50cents has been with us a month and I find it makes a huge difference in the tips and it is not because passengers are cheap. Most riders don’t even know about it and none of the tourists have a clue. It is due to the fact change is hardly used anymore. An example: a $9.20 fare and you get $10. Before the increase the fare is $8.80 and you get the same $10. How about $16.80? You get a $20. $16.40 and you get the same $20. Or $3.70? You get a five spot. $4.10 the same fiver. $8 you get $10. $8.40 the same ten. $18.20 or $18.60 the same $20. $31.80 or $32.20 and you get the same $35.Get the picture. This can easily occur ten times in one shift. It happeneds to me every shift. Thats five hard earned smackers getting pulled out of your wallet in one shift. This surcharge can easily cost a driver well over $100 a month. I feel terrific knowing that I am helping to pay for someones MTA health insurance and pension. Why should the transit fare be $2.50 when it is so easy to pass it on to a struggling cab driver. Thanks Governor.