NYC Taxi Fares Are About to Get a Lot More Expensive
The new prices just passed an important vote.
Prices are rising across NYC, and now you can add taxi fares to that list.
For the first time in a decade, the city's Taxi & Limousine Commission will hike yellow cab rates and surcharges. Prices are expected to rise about 23% for riders. According to the Commission, the price hike will help revitalize the taxicab business by increasing drivers' salaries.
"For drivers, it's going to add up to something significant because of the number of trips they do," Taxi Workers Alliance Executive Director Bhairavi Desai said in a statement. "With the raise and debt forgiveness on medallion loans we've been fighting for, I think you'll see more yellow cabs on the streets."
The main fare changes and surcharges include raising the base fare from $2.50 to $3 as well as a $2.50 rush hour fee (a 250% increase from the current $1 fee), a nighttime surcharge increase from $0.50 to $1, and other small fees.
Airport surcharges would be significantly affected, too. The $52 flat fare for trips between Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International Airport will be bumped up to $70, and the rush hour taxi and flat fare surcharge to JFK would be increased by $0.50, reaching a price of $5. All trips to Newark Liberty International Airport will see a $20 surcharge instead of the usual $17.50, while trips to and from LaGuardia Airport will implement a new surcharge of $5.
Uber and Lyft drivers aren't affected by these changes, but a separate proposal approved by the commission raises per-minute pay by 7% for app-based drivers. The new prices are expected to go into effect before the end of 2022.