NEW YORK—The taxi industry’s governing body approved taxi fare increases for the first time since 2006. The estimated 17 percent increase will start sometime in September.
The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission approved the fare raise with a vote of 6-to-2, with one abstention.
The charge for 60 seconds in traffic will increase from $0.40 to $0.50; the base fare will stay at $2.50.
Taxi drivers said they have been struggling under the current fare structure, making roughly $130 per 12-hour shift on average. A 17 percent increase would boost that to about $152 per shift.
The commission will now review taxi fares every four years to consider further increases.
Another contentious issue between drivers and taxi owners, the credit card fee, will be changed from a 5 percent charge per transaction to a $10 flat fee per shift.
Other changes include the fare between JFK and Manhattan rising from $45 to $52, and the surcharge to Newark Liberty International Airport increasing from $15 to $17.50.
Allan Fromberg, the commission’s spokesman, said processes including recalibrating meters and changing fare stickers mean the approved changes won’t go into effect until September.
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