Metro

Fake-limo sweep in Meatpacking District

(Warzer Jaff)

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Taxi officials and the NYPD are cracking down on drivers of bogus limousines who prowl the Meatpacking District preying on tipsy club patrons when the bars let out, officials said.

Clubgoers often exit the bottle-service venues looking for a fancier ride home than a run-of-the-mill yellow cab — and that has created a bonanza for drivers without taxi licenses looking to gouge fares in uninspected and potentially dangerous vehicles.

“The Meatpacking District is a major hub for illegal gypsy cabs,” TLC Commissioner David Yassky told The Post yesterday.

“I strongly urge people to only flag down yellow taxis. That way, you know the car has been inspected for safety and the driver is legitimate and insured.”

Another reason for the crackdown, police said, is that illegal limousines clog the streets in the area, causing traffic jams and noise pollution in the wee hours.

Earlier this month, police and TLC investigators doled out 110 summonses for unlicensed vehicles and impounded 10 vehicles.

Those numbers include regular black cars and stretch limos alike, sources said.

Early next month, there will be another sweep, in hopes of sending the phony drivers packing for good.

Enforcement has been ongoing for months, but only recently have the NYPD and TLC ramped up their crackdown on cars that are unlicensed or respond to street hails, sources said.

On Dec. 11 and 12 — a Saturday night into Sunday morning — officials seized 21 unlicensed vehicles and nabbed 70 vehicles responding to hails that are for licensed cars only.

And in a TLC-only operation on Jan. 23 and 24, summonses were issued to 69 drivers for taking illegal street hails and 11 for being unlicensed.

The fine for taking an illegal street hail is $350 for the first offense and $500 for the second. The license to drive a black car — which can’t take street hails — can be revoked on the third offense.

For driving a car unlicensed by the TLC, the fines range from $400 to $1,000, and the driver can get 60 days in jail.

Since August 2010, the TLC has issued 1,135 summonses for illegal street hails, and 889 to drivers of unlicensed cars.

john.doyle@nypost.com