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NEW FARE PLAN LETS STRANGERS SHARE TAXIS

This fall, passengers will be sharing their taxi rides with total strangers and a new smart meter will split up discounted fares under a sweeping one-year trial plan that promises to change how New Yorkers ride in yellow cabs, officials told The Post.

In one drastic change, the Taxi and Limousine Commission will install six new group ride yellow cab stands and take passengers along some of the busiest routes during the morning rush hours, officials said today.

From Grand Central Terminal, cabs will consistently run to West 59th and Sixth Avenue for a flat $3 per person, officials said. Passengers can exit the cab anywhere along the route.

The TLC will discuss the pilot program at its meeting tomorrow.

Another new twist will be up to 1,000 marked “sharecabs” that let riders cleanly split cab fares with friends or strangers for a 50 percent discount.

LED screens on top of each taxi will let riders hailing an already-occupied cab know which neighborhood its headed for, officials said.

The computer screens installed in the backseat of all yellow cabs will break down and track each passenger’s fare, officials said.

The split fares can happen anywhere and at any time of day.

The TLC’s goal with the new pilot is to increase the number of people who ride in cabs without adding more vehicles, and also making more cabs available during rush hours, officials said.