Nobody

Sun, 09 Jan 2005 00:14:30 -0500

Unfortunately, most New York news outlets seemed to take the TLC press release that this story is based on at face value: Ridership went down 4%, and revenue went up 20%. These numbers are misleading. A 20% increase in revenue says nothing about an increase in profit. The TLC is run by fleet management and medallion owners, not by drivers, so it would make sense for them to paint a rosey picture of the fare hike. I believe I heard on WNYC that the average cabbie now brings in about $314 a day. First, that's a 12-hour day. Second, the cost of a 12-hour lease has gone up more than the price of gas has. (Most drivers lease a car for one shift for a fee which includes the car, the medallion, and insurance. Some drivers work in pairs and lease a car for a week, each taking the car for half-days.) There are no hard statistics -- or at least no publicised ones -- but it's my understanding that some taxi companies charge up to $150 for a 12-hour shift. Add $50 for 25 gallons of gas, and that works out to less than $10 an hour.

juepucta

Fri, 07 Jan 2005 23:11:30 -0500

Walk mofos! I fondly remember some walks all the way from SOHO to the theatre district after partying... helped to regain sobriety too. G.

Kalhouty

Fri, 07 Jan 2005 21:40:12 -0500

I'd just be happy if I could get a cab in the boroughs. They should make borough-specific cabs so all of us would have an option safer and more affordable than those damn livery cabs.

Gothamist: Taxi Ridership Down, But $$$ Is Up

Nobody

juepucta

Kalhouty