New York’s proposed congestion toll on autos getting into Manhattan beneath sixtieth Road may have a “massive affect” on town’s taxi and for-hire automobile trade, Taxi and Limousine Fee Chair David Do warned Thursday.
Testifying at a Metropolis Council listening to on the way forward for town’s once-ubiquitous yellow cabs, Do mentioned some research have proven how susceptible they're.
“There may be going to be a big effect,” he mentioned. “Some research have mentioned there can be a decline in journeys of greater than 5%. It is a massive concern.”
Handed in 2019, the MTA’s congestion pricing program goals to scale back total visitors in Manhattan’s downtown by charging anyplace from $9 to $23.
A number of of the pricing schemes floated as a part of the MTA’s environmental evaluate of the proposal would dent revenues within the immigrant-dominated for-hire trade, and the MTA is warning some drivers could also be out of labor in consequence.
Drivers are outraged. The variety of yellow cabs on the highway has dropped dramatically for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic, and drivers fear the brand new toll might be the “remaining nail within the coffin.”
“As we wrestle to get again on our toes, we face the very actual risk of an extra congestion tax on our fares,” Unbiased Drivers Guild organizing director Aziz Bah testified Thursday. “Whereas passengers could also be charged the extra surcharges, it's the drivers who will finally pay in considerably fewer journeys and decrease compensation.”
For-hire automobiles have already paid a $2.75-per-ride congestion charge since 2019, which works to the MTA, Bah mentioned — echoing a degree made by trade consultants together with Do.
“Our for-hire autos and taxis have paid nearly $2 billion to the MTA in congestion prices,” Do advised council members.
A panel often known as the Visitors Mobility Assessment Board — whose members are appointed by the mayor and governor — will finally set the ultimate toll quantity, approve any exemptions and decide whether or not and find out how to cost for-hire drivers.
“Because the Visitors Mobility Assessment Board seems at this, I urge them to take a look at the contributions that the for-hire automobile trade as a complete has already contributed to the MTA,” Do mentioned.
The MTA’s plan is topic to vary, however is required by legislation to boost $1 billion per yr.
In a press release, the MTA mentioned its toll schemes that would put drivers out of labor had been amongst “totally different eventualities … modeled as a part of the federal environmental evaluate course of, with totally different outcomes for taxi drivers and others.”
“If this system is accredited by the Federal Freeway Administration, the Visitors Mobility Assessment Board will evaluate all obtainable materials to make suggestions on what the coverage might be,” mentioned MTA’s chief of exterior relations, John McCarthy.
“What’s past doubt is that an often-gridlocked Central Enterprise District may have tens of 1000's fewer autos each weekday, enabling dramatic air high quality enhancements and guaranteeing that ambulances, fireplace vehicles, buses, e-commerce supply vans and different autos essential to our metropolis’s viability can transfer round.”
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