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Taxi passengers will get slapped with a more expensive ride come September — and then possibly again next year.
The Taxi & Limousine Commission yesterday green-lighted a 17 percent fare hike — striking a blow to cash-strapped commuters but giving hardworking hacks their first pay raise since 2006.
Under the new pricing, passengers will have to pay 50 cents for every fifth of a mile and for every minute stuck in traffic — known as a “click” — up from 40 cents.
Also, rides from Kennedy Airport will increase from $45 to $52.
TLC brass also revealed that they will consider fare changes every odd-numbered year — starting in 2013.
The move had some riders digging around for their MetroCards.
“Wow, that sounds crazy,” said Rashmi Jackson, 32, of Harlem, who said the hike will spur him to take the bus or subway more than ever. “Maybe 5 percent is fair. But 17 percent — that’s just steep!”
Six commissioners voted in favor of the increase, saying cabbies deserve a raise after years without a pay bump, while two voted it down and one abstained.
“The commission did the right thing,” said TLC Chairman David Yassky. “Taxi drivers have been working hard for six years with no raise. There comes a time you need to make sure people can earn a decent living wage.
“A taxi driver who works their tail off will be able to put food on the table and pay rent,” he said.
Hacks will make an average of $160 for a 12-hour shift, compared with $130 now, Yassky said.
”We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said cabby Kamal Hossain, 52, of The Bronx. “More money is always good.”
The commission also approved a 6-cent surcharge for drivers on each fare that will be used to fund an account for health insurance for hacks.
It also changed the way drivers pay fees for credit-card transactions. Cabbies now will chip in $10 a shift, instead of paying 5 percent.
“It is a great victory for us,” said Javaid Taria, a 56-year-old cabby from Astoria, Queens, who has been driving for 16 years. “In 10 years, I didn’t go to the doctor because I did not have any kind of health insurance.”
“We’ve suffered for so long,” said a teary-eyed Bhairavi Desai, director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. “We finally have a chance to go back to a livable income.”
Commissioner Elias Arout, who abstained, and Nora Marino, who voted down the hike, said it would benefit drivers while ignoring fleet owners.
“All segments of the industry need an increase.” said Arout.
Commissioner Frank Carone also voted no.
Some sympathetic riders said they felt cabbies’ pain, even if it means paying more.
“On a daily basis, it will probably hurt my wallet. But they [cabdrivers] seem to work long, hard hours. They probably deserve it,” said Alison Maclean, 53, a filmmaker from the West Village.