It ain’t fare!
Riders and cabbies alike yesterday railed against a surcharge slapped onto taxi fares in an attempt to raise money for the cash-strapped MTA.
The 50-cent hike took effect at midnight, boosting the base fare to $3.
“I think the surcharge is ridiculous,” said Lia Schorr, a skin-care business owner from the Upper East Side and frequent rider.
“I was very irritated when I got into the taxi today.”
Schorr, who took a ride from her home to her office in Midtown, vows to cut back on her trips in yellow cabs.
“We live in a city where taxes only go up and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
The fee and a 0.34 percent payroll tax are part of a $2.3 billion bailout green-lighted by the MTA to help stave off massive fare hikes for straphangers.
Also included in the slew of new taxes is a 5 percent charge on car rentals, a $16 increase on driver’s license renewals and a $50 hike on vehicle-registration fees.
Stylist Tim Baga said that it will be harder for him to take a cab to his work locations around the Big Apple.
“The whole city is getting very expensive,” said the 23-year-old Upper East Sider, who took a cab only part of the way downtown yesterday.
“Riding a taxi can’t be an everyday thing now. It’s becoming a luxury or something that you do when you absolutely need to.”
Cabbies are also screeching about the new tax.
“We don’t like the surcharge. People will take the subway more,” said Ullah Zafar, 57, of Brighton Beach, who has been hacking for 23 years.
“People are already complaining about it. I’ve had 18 customers today and every second one has complained.”