For More Information:
NYTWA:
Bhairavi Desai @ 917-945-7286
or
Office of CCM Diana Reyna:
Lauren George @ 347-881-6663
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 22nd
Council Members Urge TLC for Fuel Surcharge
15 CCM's Urge TLC to Enact Emergency Rulemaking
WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2008
2:00pm
City Hall Steps
Council Members Who've Signed Support Letter:
Reyna, Liu, Weprin, James, Monserrate, Mendez, Jackson, de Blasio, Brewer,
Martinez, Koppell, Comrie, Seabrook, White, Avella
City Council Members are calling on the Taxi and Limousine Commission to
enact a fuel surcharge to help city's taxi drivers reeling from the impact of
high gas prices. Drivers have been paying $250 to $300 more per week or over
$1,000 more a month, compared to even just 18 months ago. Drivers pay for
the cost of gas one hundred percent on their own. Twelve Council members
sent a letter on July 17th to TLC Chair Mathew Daus, urging emergency rulemaking
on the surcharge and enforcement to ensure the money goes only to drivers
and not taxi companies.
The Council letter calls the impact of gas prices and the 5% taxi drivers
lose in income on credit card fares, "an enormous economic burden on one of
our hardest working labor forces."
City Council Member Diana Reyna (D, Brooklyn), who initiated the support
drive, says "Working families can't afford to lose $300 of their weekly income
to gas prices. We should protect drivers the same way airlines protect
themselves."
Over 13 cities nationwide have enacted fuel surcharges, with averages of
$1.50. City black car and car service companies have also added extra costs to
the cost of the ride. Even though the companies are also licensed by the
TLC, they set their own rates. Some private businesses such as airlines, are
now separately pricing services otherwise included in the ticket price, on
top of fuel surcharges added a few months back. NYC drivers, who average over
100 miles for every 12-hour shift, are dependent on the TLC to set the meter
rates.
The 11,000-member New York Taxi Workers Alliance petitioned the TLC for a
$1 surcharge while gas prices are above $3.50. If prices go up, as some
analysts predict gas may be at $5 in the fall, the NYTWA is calling for a 50 cent
increase in the $1 surcharge for every $1 increase in the gas price above
the $3.50 base rate. The TLC denied the petition, citing booms in the general
city economy, with higher hotel occupancy and a 2.3% increase in travelers
to JFK and LaGuardia Airports.
"Even the president can admit there's a recession but the TLC Chairman
thinks the economy is booming," says NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai.
"$1 is a reasonable trade-off between what the public can afford and what will
help drivers offset the cost. How can the TLC just sit and watch thousands
of hard-working people suffer, especially when there is a solution."
Many drivers are working longer hours, including extra whole shifts or
cutting down on breaks. "I used to take one day off a week to spend with my
kids, but this summer, there's no family time," said Mohammad Khan. Some
drivers are also cutting back on household expenses. "It's going from being tough
to practically unbearable. When you already work 12 hour shifts, how much
more can you work. And when you can't even afford health care or vacations,
what do you cut back," said father of three Mamnun Ul Haq.
The price hike is coming at a time when drivers' income is being limited by
credit cards. "I don't know how much cash I'll have from the shift to pay
for the gas, so after every few cash fares, I go straight to the pump," says
30-year veteran Beresford Simmons. On every credit card transaction, drivers
pay a 5% interchange fee, double the industry rate, as TLC-regulations allow
for taxi garages and the technology vendor to collect service fees on each
transaction, including on the tip and toll. Drivers also have to wait to be
reimbursed by the garage as TLC rules only let medallion owners be merchant
account holders.
Victor Salazar called the City Council support "a moral boost. We've been
kicked around by the TLC for so many years, we were beginning to think
democracy doesn't exist in NYC for taxi drivers. If elected officials can stand
with us, maybe the non-elected TLC will follow their lead."
--30--
New York Taxi Workers Alliance
37 East 28th St.
NYC, New York 10016
212-627-5248 Phone
646-638-4446 Fax
_nytwa1@aol.com_ (mailto:nytwa1@aol.com)
For a Copy of the Council's Support Letter, please email us at
_nytwa1@aol.com_ (mailto:nytwa1@aol.com) or call 212-627-5248.
The NYTWA is asking the city of New York for a dollar surcharge for taxi drivers there, like we have here.
Because of our new ordinance making surcharges virtually automatic, we won't have to beg for surcharges like New York drivers are now.
George Lutfallah
NYTWA is asking for "surcharge" to off-set the rising gas price under the political process.
Contrary to the Chicago "Surcharge" ordinance enacted recently, it bars the process possible for any "fair and reasonable" meter increase petition within 12 month guaranteed by the ordinance this year.
Who is getting benefits from this automatic "raise" when the gas price reaches $2.70 again now and in the future?
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Replying to:
The NYTWA is asking the city of New York for a dollar surcharge for taxi drivers there, like we have here.
Because of our new ordinance making surcharges virtually automatic, we won't have to beg for surcharges like New York drivers are now.
George Lutfallah
This is the opinion of Fatlu Hall:
One gets the idea here that George is tooting the horn of city hall and not Fatlu Hall. I don't know if you still live in the family home in Des Plaines Geeorge, but you would have to if you were depending on driving a cab here in Chicago for your only source of income. Be thankful for your advertisers man. We're dying here from the heat and the low take home pay. We need fair metered rates, not a phony surcharge. Let me know when you drive 26 days out of 30 George and maybe then we can swap notes. In other words when you're a real driver.
The current surcharge is a joke. An airport trip averages 40.00 Guess what, it was 40 before the surcharge. I still pay twice as much at the pump. I figure I'm out 150.00 a week. I need fair rates, not a phony surcharge. Thank you Wolf Weiss and Co. for trying to help us get our long deserved raise!
George, your comments about how geart this surcharge stuff is for us makes one think you're a shill for the city. Growl a little once a year and kiss rear the other 51 issues makes George Norma's darling. I will admit this is my opinion and not the universal opinion of all drivers. I welocme any/all comments.
So you want an opinion? Quit mentioning where someone lives. The other stuff you posted is well done.
