🪧 In Final Push, NYC TLC Drivers Speak Out Against MTA Plans To Double Tax FHVs & Taxis
Both NYC yellow taxi & FHV drivers are against being subject to any additional congestion surcharges, ahead of MTA's final congestion tolling determinations
NYC’s Congestion Pricing passed key threshold after federal government approval in May and should be in place by by April 2024
For-hire transportation (TLC) industry could be severely impacted IF exemption or carve-out not granted
MTA Board & MTA’s Traffic Mobility Review Board (TMRB) meet today, as Manhattan congestion tolling inches towards becoming reality
Yellow taxi medallion politics has shown up as industry, led by the influential New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA), asks for TOTAL exemption to double tax, while supporting a per trip charge increase on Uber/Lyft trips
One of six members of influential TMRB is John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) of America, AFL-CIO. NYTWA discloses the following on its website “[NYTWA is] the 57th affiliate of the AFL-CIO, the first-one of entirely independent contractors, and an affiliate of the International Transport Workers’ Federation. NTWA’s President currently serves on the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO.”
Driver advocacy group Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) plans to hold rally at 2:30pm today in front of MTA’s Manhattan Headquarters
AutoMarketplace will provide full coverage as we learn more details
“Hey, Hey, MTA,” they shouted. “Don’t make cabbies pay!”
- NYC TLC drivers quoted by New York Daily News
“Last year I testified on congestion pricing — I support the concept, but my main topic was not to charge yellow cabs, period.” Brewer told The News. “Not even once.”
- NYC Council Member Gale Brewer (Source: New York Daily News)
For more in-depth background, please see our recent article below 👇.
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Why should passengers pay yet another congestion fee because the MTA can not manage its finances? This hurts drivers because it raises the overall fares for passengers (thereby decreasing demand) while FHV supply will increase from all the temporary shelving of vehicle licenses expiring. Not to mention, we are staring into the mouth of a serious NYC recession or even economic depression should the commercial office market fail. None of this bodes well for FHV drivers. The MTA needs to control the fare beating ($690 million per year as of this writing) and their costs.
Why should passengers pay yet another congestion fee because the MTA can not manage its finances? This hurts drivers because it raises the overall fares for passengers (thereby decreasing demand) while FHV supply will increase from all the temporary shelving of vehicle licenses expiring. Not to mention, we are staring into the mouth of a serious NYC recession or even economic depression should the commercial office market fail. None of this bodes well for FHV drivers. The MTA needs to control the fare beating ($690 million per year as of this writing) and their costs.