NYC proposes yellow cab taxi and limo rate hikes

NEW YORK - Yellow taxis have been a ubiquitous sight in New York City for well over a century. But the drivers who sit behind the wheel worry their jobs could one day become extinct--unless they're paid more.

"Everything costs more than it did ten years ago," said Erhan Tuncel, a driver.

We are all feeling the effects of high inflation, but Tuncel says, for taxi drivers, it’s been crippling.

"We are taking home day after day less and less of what we earn," Tuncel said. "Gasoline has doubled in price. Car prices are through the roof."

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That's why Tuncel signed up to voice his concerns Thursday in the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s first public hearing on a proposed rate hike.

The TLC wants to raise base fares from $2.50 to $3.00. The nighttime surcharge would increase from 50 cents to $1.00. And the rush hour fee would change from just $1.00 to $2.50.

There would also be a new $5 surcharge on trips to LaGuardia. And flat rate trips to JFK would jump from $52 to $65.

The move would mark the first rate hikes in more than a decade.

"This is long overdue for a sector that has seen a historic loss in the number of trips," said Bhairavi Desai with the New York Taxi Workers Alliance.  "This deserves to be a job that is a pathway to a middle-class life, which is what it once was."

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But, as we are all feeling the pinch of inflation, public sentiment is not universal.

"Rides are too expensive for regular hard-working passengers," said rider Walter Deane.

"If I go to and from the office, its $30 a day. If I go out at night that’s another $30 in round-trip fares. I’m cutting back on taxi riding because of these high fares."

As of now, there’s no word on when the commission might vote on the proposed hikes or-- if approved--when they might go into effect.