Over 21,000 taxicab drivers overcharged passengers a whopping 286,000 times — ripping off riders to the tune of $1.1 million, according to new data released today.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission announced the completed review of data resulting from its discovery earlier this year that cabbies were using an out-of-town rate code while within the city limits.
Based on the TLC’s analysis, 21,819 taxicab drivers overcharged passengers a total of 286,000 times — out of 361 million total trips during that period — for a total estimated overcharge of almost $1.1 million.
In March, the TLC originally revealed that cabbies overcharged nearly 2 million passengers by at least $8.3 million. The new numbers come after the city agency ran an audit of its original figures.
“The TLC has completed its review of the data, as we had committed to do,” said Commissioner David Yassky. “The data suggests that only a fraction of a percent of rides were overcharged and the majority of our taxi drivers do a great job, exhibiting the integrity that we expect and demand of our licensees.”
Taxi drivers scammed passengers in the city by setting the meter to Rate Code 4 — a higher charge that should only be applied to trips outside the city. TLC officials figured out the rate discrepancies by checking GPS devices.
As part of its review, the TLC said it “looked into the mechanics of operating taximeters” and found the “potential” for a driver to push the Rate Code 4 button at the end of a trip while intending to push the “end of trip” button, officials said.
In that scenario, the driver would presumably recognize and correct the error immediately, because the meter would not end the trip and print a receipt. Therefore, the driver would immediately push the end-of-trip button – resulting in no overcharge.
Yassky admitted that even a few bad cabbies is not good for the taxi business.
“It also revealed, however, evidence that we believe will show that a significant number of drivers used Rate Code 4 as a means of surreptitiously padding their pockets and taking advantage of a trusting public, and we will be taking appropriate actions to see that these drivers do not again have the opportunity to betray their passengers and their fellow drivers,” he said.
The TLC said a majority of drivers — 13,315 out of the 21,819 — engaged in overcharging just one or two times, but the TLC expects to be able to prove that some drivers engaged in 1,000 or more overcharges.
The Post reported in March that the scam allowed driver Wasim Khalid Cheema to pocket $40,000 more than an average taxi driver over six months.
Officials said Cheema adjusted his meter to Code 4, which covers trips to Nassau and Westchester, instead of Code 1, used for rides within the five boroughs.
Fares to the suburbs are set at double the in-city rate on the theory that a yellow cab that crosses the border will return empty.
Cheema was tripped up by a complaint filed last July 16 by someone who hailed him at 1:17 a.m. at 110 East 35th St. in Manhattan and asked to go to 47-50 39th Place in Queens.
At that hour of the night, the journey was a swift 12 minutes. The total fare came to $20.20.
Officials later said it should have been about $12.20.
The suspicious passenger notified the TLC that the meter “increased very rapidly.”