|
| |
EDITORIAL REVIEW
Taxis are a good value in New York, and with a little basic information, you soon can ride like a native New Yorker! Taxi service, except at peak travel hours, generally seems to be the best way to get around town quickly and efficiently. However, you should prepare yourself for what may feel a bit like a carnival ride. Taxi drivers here are generally aggressive drivers, and it takes a little getting used to...though the kids seem to love it!
Do note: it is against the law for a taxi cab driver to refuse a person based on race, disability, or a passenger's requested destination in New York City. A taxicab driver is required to drive a passenger to any destination in the five city boroughs. You can make a refusal complaint by calling 311. Just make sure you have the cab's medallion number. Do ask for and keep your printed receipt.
How much does a taxi trip cost? As you can imagine, that all depends how far you are traveling and what the traffic is like. On an average ride in Manhattan, expect to pay between $8 and $12. Do remember to tip. To take the subway or the bus? If you have more than 2 people in your party, it usually makes good sense to just hail a taxi. Please note that the passenger limit is FOUR people (five including driver), although additional passenger must be accepted if such passenger is under the age of seven (7) and is held on the lap of an adult passenger seated in the rear. Please don’t ask the driver to ‘overlook’ additional people. The fines are quite high, and very few drivers will take that risk.
The new rates effective December 2006 are as follows:
New York City Taxi Fare Structure
| | Taxi Fare Structure | | Initial Charge | $2.50 | | Mileage Charge | $.40 per 1/5 mile |
| Waiting Time | $.40 per 60 seconds | | JFK Flat Fare to/from Manhattan | $45.00 | | Newark Airport Surcharge | $15.00 | Night Surcharge
(8 p.m. - 6 a.m. – 7 nights) | $.50 | Peak Hour Pricing
(4 - 8 p.m. – weekdays only, excluding holidays) | $1.00 |
Please note that you must also pay any bridge or tunnel tolls.
Some other things to keep in mind:- Always buckle up!
- Always request a printed receipt from the driver.
- You may request a radio-free (silent) trip.
- You have a right to smoke and incense-free air.
- It is your right to choose what route to take.
- It is your right to to go to any destination in New York City.
- Trips outside the City have a different rate and are at the discretion of the driver.
For complete information about New York City taxi fares and rules and regulations, please visit the Taxi & Limousine Commission's (TLC) official site.
Call 311 with complaints, or you fill out an on-line complaint using the form found at the offical website.
From JFK airport to or from Manhattan, a FLAT FARE of $45 plus all tolls applies at all times. Note that there is never any charge for luggage or additional passengers. Note also that if your taxi from JFK makes more than one stop in Manhattan, the driver will charge you $45 after the first stop, then turn on the meter. The last passenger must pay the amount on the meter. (New as of December 2006, this fare DOES apply going from Manhattan to JFK.)
Newark taxis charge rates different from New York City taxis, and fare structure is complex. Ensure that the taxi dispatcher at Newark airport gives you a yellow brochure and writes down the taxi medallion number and estimated fare before you leave the airport. There may be additional charges per passenger or piece of luggage. For NYC taxis to Newark airport, in additional to the metered fare, there is a $15 surcharge plus round-trip tolls to AND from the airport.
Many people enquire as to what the rules are regarding child safety seats and seatbelts in taxicabs. Officially, drivers of yellow medallion taxicabs and for-hire vehicles and their passengers are exempt from laws regarding car seats and seatbelts. While the Taxi and Limousine Commission encourages everyone in the vehicle to buckle their seatbelts while riding in a cab, there are no rules regarding this. Hence, infants may ride in any taxi at a parent's discretion. Of course, passengers with children are encouraged to bring their own car seats, which the drivers must allow passengers to install. Note that children under the age of seven are permitted to sit on an adult's lap, but that this is considered inadequate by safety experts in case of an accident. Our advice is if you will be taking cabs with a small infant, bring a car seat.
What about service animals and pets? Taxicabs are required to welcome service animals. If the passenger states that the animal is a service animal, then the driver must, regardless of whether the animal is secured or not, allow them in the taxicab. If non-service animals are not in a secure kennel case, drivers may elect to transport or not transport them and the accompanying passenger.
For people with wheelchairs please note that drivers are required to fold up wheelchairs and place them in the trunk. Also, please note that a recently-passed rule now requires that drivers not engage the taximeter until a disabled passenger has been settled in, and the ride is about to commence.
Finally, would you like to request demand-responsive WHEELCHAIR- ACCESSIBLE service? In New York City it is your legal right to do so! Enacted in 2001, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) For-Hire Vehicle (FHV) Rule 6-07(f) requires each For-Hire Vehicle base station (livery, black car and luxury limousine) to provide wheelchair-accessible service to persons with disabilities upon request, at an equivalent price and service level as non-wheelchair-accessible transportation. This also includes base stations located outside of New York City but licensed by the TLC.
Please feel free to contact any of the following TLC-licensed for-hire vehicle bases for accessible service upon request:
For Livery (Community) Car service, please call:
A Ride for All, LLC
41-10 24th Street
Long Island City, New York 11101
(718) 706-7433
For Black Car service, please call:
Symphony Transportation, LLC
895 Mamaroneck Avenue
Mamaroneck, New York 10543
(800) 253-1443
Vega Transportation Co., Inc.
89-18 Astoria Boulevard
Flushing, New York 11369
(718) 507-0500
For Luxury Limousine service, please call:
Symphony Transportation, LLC
895 Mamaroneck Avenue
Mamaroneck, New York 10543
(800) 253-1443
Bermuda Limousine Service, Inc.
537 West 20th Street
New York, New York 10011
(212) 647-8400
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
TAXIS
TIPS
| 1. | How to Hail a Cab like a New Yorker | | | In Manhattan, there is no need to go to a taxi stand or to call for a taxi. Simply step out on to the side of any street, throw your arm in the air, and soon (often immediately) an available cab will come charging up as if on command. To hail a cab simply throw your hand in the air as if pointing at the sky. This universal signal is understood by all drivers. Unless a driver has somehow missed your signal there is rarely any need to do more than this, though occasionally a loud shout of "Taxi!" can be heard.
Note, that a taxi is only going to stop if it is available. You can tell when a cab is occupied because the light box on top of the roof is NOT lit. If the middle portion showing the cab number is lit, it means the cab IS available. | | 2. | New York Cabs and Kids | | | Many people enquire as to what the rules are regarding child safety seats and seatbelts in taxicabs. Officially, drivers of yellow medallion taxicabs and for-hire vehicles and their passengers are exempt from laws regarding car seats and seatbelts. While the Taxi and Limousine Commission encourages everyone in the vehicle to buckle their seatbelts while riding in a cab, there are no rules regarding this. Hence, infants may ride in any taxi at a parent's discretion. Of course, passengers with children are encouraged to bring their own car seats, which the drivers must allow passengers to install. Note that children under the age of seven are permitted to sit on an adult's lap, but that this is considered inadequate by safety experts in case of an accident. Our advice is if you will be taking cabs with a small infant, bring a car seat. | | 3. | New York Water Taxi | | | Forget about hailing a cab in the hectic streets of New York City. Head for the water instead. NY Water Taxi, the city's newest waterborne transportation service, connects you to neighborhoods, parks and cultural attractions along the West Side, Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn waterfronts. Their three bright-yellow catamarans sporting black-and-white checks, are perfect for quick and convenient trips along New York City's waterfront. And unlike their land locked cousins, once on board you can grab a snack from the onboard café! For schedules and dock locations, please visit their official site. |
|
|
|
|