January 28, 2004
Taxi Fares Increase
Taxi fares will increase , probably by early March. Even though the Taxi and Limousine Commission board still needs to approve the hikes, Newsday has these details:
– Base fares will jump 25 percent, to $2.50 from $2.
–Each additional fifth of a mile will cost 40 cents, up a dime from the current 30 cents.
–The new rates would make the price of an average cab ride about $8.40, up from $6.85.
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Lets see: the intial drop is going from $2.00 to $2.50, thats a 25% increase. Mileage charges are going from 30 cents a 1/5th to 40 cents a 1/5 of a mile, thats a 33% increase. Yet you say the average fare is going from $6.85 to $8.40....... just a 23% increase. Who's responsible for the fuzzy math?
Why must taxi fares be regulated by the city at all?
It would've been about $9.10, but if you're sober enough to see the meter clicking skywards exponentially you'll jump out making for a shorter "average" rid--saving you a few quarters for a "crunchy & juicy" hot dog...
It would've been about $9.10, but if you're sober enough to see the meter clicking skywards exponentially you'll jump out making for a shorter "average" ride--saving you a few quarters for a "crunchy & juicy" hot dog...
comparing percentages is faulty for a lot of reasons, but mainly because of the 50 cent surcharge that's currently in place for nighttime fares. some base fares are already $2.50.
and are you really saying you'd prefer unregulated cab fares? god, that would be chaos.
If you've ever had to deal with the slimy guys waiting to grab your luggage and take you for a ride from JFK, you'll know why the city needs to regulate cab fares.
subway fares: +33%
property taxes: +18.5%
sales tax: +X% (1? Can't math good)
city income tax: +XX%
rents: +400% avg. over last decade
price of apt.: +300% avg. over last decade
smoking in bars: banned
drinking in bars: to be banned
dancing in bars: banned (for a long time, but still)
fornicating ON bars: still banned
Who the hell has the money to actually GO anywhere in a cab...and once you got there, what would you do?
How long did it take you to find a photo of a NYC street without any scaffolding-clad buildings in it?
The theory is that this will mean better cab drivers and less chance of death for me. If so, I'm all in favor. But I've taken two cabs in the last year.
i wouldn't mind so much if the drivers themselves were going to reap the rewards - but something tells me that, if the fares are going up 23%, the amount the drivers pay the medallion owners to lease the cab each day will go up 24%.
I always wonder why some people complain about increases in regulated pricing. Oftentimes I wonder if much of the "get the passenger at any cost" craziness might be do to the fact that since they can't charge what the market would bear, they have to do what they can to eek out a living on what they CAN charge? If it's going to be regulated, the pricing SHOULD be responsive to cost of living increases.
Too Bad Gypsy Cabs dont serve Lower Manhattan Much, the TLC Keeps them in the Bronx cause they're the cheapest