Cabbies Asking for 19% Fair Hike

Hailing a cab may get more pricey if a new proposal to jack up fares is approved, officials said. Yellow cab fleet owners asking for 19% hike. A 5-mile cab ride could jump from about $12 to more than $15.

Yellow cab fleet owners are asking for a 19% fare hike on top of an increased base rate, which would cost riders $3 before the cabbie even puts the vehicle in gear, officials said.

If the Taxi and Limousine Commission approves the massive hikes, it could be a brutal blow to New Yorkers already bracing for bumped up bus and subway fares.

A 5-mile cab ride – say a trip from the Financial District to Times Square – would jump from about $12 to more than $15 with the inflated rates.

But there’s no guarantee that officials will accept the proposal, which was submitted by the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade.

“The industry is entitled to ask for fare increases,” said TLC Chairman David Yassky.

“Of course, we will examine that request,” Yassky said. “But the fact that the industry is requesting it – that, by no means, means the request will be granted.”

Still, the group, which represents about 3,500 of the 13,000 yellow cabs in the city, insists the fare hikes are the only way to fix their own budget gap – even after getting a whopping 26% increase in 2004.

“Operating costs have continued to increase over the last six years,” said Michael Woloz, spokesman for the group.

“We need to offset those costs,” he said.

The proposal also includes raising the flat rate to JFK Airport from $45 to $53 – not counting tolls and tip.

The group is also asking for the TLC to adjust how much the meter moves when stuck in traffic.

Currently, the industry gets 40 cents per minute when stopped.