TLC Votes Unanimously to Increase Fares for Drivers of Taxis, Uber, and Lyft

By Yehudit Garmaise

Cab rides in NYC cost 23% more before the end of 2022 after the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) voted unanimously for higher fares.

Drivers fought for the fare-increase in response to inflation and driver shortages, Bloomberg reported.

“After a year of all drivers having to choose between food and fuel, and a decade of not just stagnation but loss for yellow cab drivers in particular, we’re relieved to see the raise be voted on,” said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a 25,000-member union of yellow cab and Uber and Lyft drivers. 

For taxis, the metered rate will rise from $2.50 to $3, and surcharges will rise from $1 to $2.50 during rush hour.

The fee on overnight rides will rise from 50 cents to $1. The flat fare to John F. Kennedy International Airport will jump from $52 to $70.

The fare increases also will affect per-mile and per-minute rates for Uber and Lyft drivers, whose pay rates will increase by 7% per minute and 24% per mile. 

“Raising taxi fare rates and minimum pay for high-volume drivers is the right thing to do for our city,” TLC Commissioner David Do said in a statement. “We are confident that today’s unanimous Commission vote will keep our taxi and FHV fleets sustainable and ready to serve New Yorkers.”