Latest MTA Bailout Proposal Includes New Taxi Fee

NEW YORK, NY [WCBSTV] — There’s another bailout plan being floated to try to solve the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s cash crunch.

You may be paying a dollar more per cab ride.

“Paying more on taxi cabs, I don’t like that one bit,” rider Louis Rodriguez said.

“I wouldn’t mind because I don’t use them that often,” rider Joe Mullen added.

But under the latest MTA bailout plan, there are no new tolls on bridges.

“I kind of like that,” Allen Abider said. “I prefer not to pay tolls on the East River crossings. It would clog things up.”

On Monday night, the Senate’s Democratic majority proposed the new bailout for New York City’s transit system. Some type of bailout is needed to avoid a 23 percent increase in bus and subway fares.

“The total pot of money will prevent those fare hikes and closings,” Gov. David Paterson said in his weekly address.

The newest plan would add a tax on taxis — $1 per trip. It would add a payroll tax of 34 cents per $100, with employers having to foot the bill. In addition, registering a motor vehicle would cost $25 more and every time you rent a car, expect to pay 5 percent more in taxes.

All of this would come on top of rates expected to be increased.

“I don’t know what they’re doing with they’re money,” rider Gary Mullen said. “It’s ridiculous”

The newest plan would cut the planned increase in subway and bus fares by about two-thirds. Even with that riders would still face a fare increase of about 8 percent.