October 21, 2007
Taxi Strike––Round Two
Many taxi drivers are prepared to go on strike again tomorrow to protest the mandatory installation of expensive GPS equipment, credit and debit card readers, and video screens in the rear seats of their cabs. The effect of the first strike seemed negligible to many New Yorkers.
A very informal survey of cab drivers who already have the equipment installed in their cars yielded a consensus opinion of the new technology: it sucks. Drivers complained that when the card reader is not functioning, the entire meter is inoperable. Also, the unit gets very hot, but drivers are hesitant to turn them off because they take so long to reboot. Passengers don't seem that enthusiastic about the seat back video either, and many became frustrated with the card swipe devices, according to the Daily News.
To alleviate any inconveniences caused by the strike, the Taxi & Limousine Commission is re-instituting contingency pricing and ride-sharing rules. A full description of contingency pricing during the strike can be found after the jump.
Group ride travel to/from Manhattan and JFK will be a $30 flat fare per person, while group ride travel to/from Manhattan and LGA would be $20 per person. Zone charges would dictate fares for trips to/from airports and boroughs other than Manhattan. The City also reserves the right to allow livery hails if the TLC determines that it is necessary after evaluating the situation. Subsequent public announcements about plans will be made by the TLC.ForAll Rides From LGA and JFK Airports:
* If riders from LGA and JFK airport select the group ride option, they will be required to adhere to the flat fare or zone based system.
* All riders from LGA and JFK have the option to choose non-group rides. In that scenario, normal metered rates will apply.CHARGE (PER PERSON)
DESCRIPTION
$30 (Per Person)
Trips To/From Manhattan and JFK
$20 (Per Person)
Trips To/From Manhattan and LGA
ZONE CHARGES
Trips To/From JFK or LGA from boroughs other than Manhattan
In All Cases:
* Tolls are included in all zone-based and flat fare rides.
* Charges apply to adult riders only. Children under 12 ride free with adultsThe zone-based fare structure citywide charges $10 per person within a given zone, and an additional $5 per person for each zone subsequently entered or passed through. Below are the zones:
ZONE
AREA
Zone A
Manhattan: South of 23rd StreetZone B
Manhattan: 23rd Street – 60th StreetZone C
Manhattan: 60th Street – 96th StreetZone D
Manhattan: North of 96th StreetZone E
BrooklynZone F
The BronxZone G
QueensZone H
Staten Island
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round 2 of price gouging!
Was anyone really inconvenienced by the first strike? Heck... did anyone even notice there was a taxi strike? Sept. 5th was one of the most peaceful days I've had on the road. Little congestion, no honking, no stop and go traffic. I actually arrived at work unstressed and 10 minutes early. I say let them strike permanently.
Shit - going from midtown to Wash Hts is actually cheaper under zone pricing than it is under normal pricing. I think I might take a cab home during the strike just to enjoy the savings :P.
The picture of the girl in the daily news article is showing some cleavage and and her bra.
Nice Daily News.
"Consensus opinion" is redundant. Consensus IS opinion.
Hey, more space on the roads for me.
Togetherness in remaining cabs.
Dollars galore for those left driving on the road ... there are other taxi unions that are NOT honoring the job action.
it is my understanding the cabbies real problem with gps is that with gps in the cab they can not under report their income. with gps they are afraid the tax man will come calling collecting more income taxes based on tracking from the system.
has anyone else considered this or heard of it?
Well, here we go again, another taxi work stoppage, and more brain dead comments on Gothamist. Let cabbies strike permanently: I'm thinking it just might inconvenience the ONE MILLION PEOPLE who use them daily. Price gouging: blame Bloomberg for this, not drivers, as he all but admitted last month that it was a strikebreaking bribe, riding public be damned. Stiffing the IRS: why are the (presumably well-heeled) people who post on this and other sites always concerned, not with the peon wage of working class people, but whether or not they're underreporting their paltry income? I look forward to these very same people bellyaching when these machines prove unusable.
So I can go from my apartment by the Manhattan Bridge to JFK for $15 (two zones) when it would normally cost me $45? Awesome.
toast27 what rock have you been under?