Port for-hire surcharges
Stress Medallion taxi drivers
Continued from page 1
BY JEFF YAPALATER
On July 30 at JFK Airport,
the Port Authority held what
was to be the last of NY public
hearings on the proposed
fare increase on the AirTrain,
surcharge levied against for-
hire vehicles and taxis at the
airport, Path train and toll
increases on bridges and tunnels.
At the JFK Airport public
meeting, Port Authority
Chairman Kevin O’Toole,
Commissioner George Mc-
Donald, Executive Director
Rick Cotton and a retinue
of staff held a public meeting
with over 100 individuals,
many yellow taxi medallion
holders, in attendance to
voice their concerns. These
taxi owners came to oppose
the proposed $4 per ride surcharge
for cab rides using the
Yellow taxis picking up from
Port Airports including JFK,
Newark and LaGuardia.
Highlights of the fee adjustments
related to the airports
through the proposed
changes to the 2018-2026 Port
budget are: increases in JFK
and Newark AirTrains, the
first increases for either system
in more than a decade,
will rise from $5.00 and $5.50
to $7.75, effective November 1,
2019; A proposed $4.00 ground
transportation access fee on
for-hire vehicles and taxis is
planned for all airports.
A representative from the
NY Taxi Workers Alliance and
many member protesting medallion
drivers respectfully
addressed the Commissioners
with pleas of not imposing
this surcharge on the yellow
taxi owners who they say
have been hit hard by other
hardships causing some taxi
driver suicides. Commenting
“ this is going to kill us”,
“don’t steal from the poor”, a
few public speakers referred
to the recent suicides by medallion
owners allegedly tied
to the drop of medallion value,
competition by app-based services
and increasing fees to
the many strapped owners.
Many of the drivers held protesting
placards provided by a
frustrated driver.
In addition to the call for
not implementing the proposed
charges, the taxi drivers also
took the opportunity to talk
about the app-based services
20 AIRPORT VOICE, AUGUST 2019
Taxi medallion owner Nino Hervais shares surchare concerns with Part Authority Board as Senator Comrie (left) listens.
which they feel have taken a lot
of their business. One driver
said that their income has
been reduced by about 40% due
to the large number of for-hire
vehicles in the City which are
not subject to the same laws as
taxis, and that there is no need
for the extra cars since the city
population has not increased
proportionally. This driver
shook his head as he wondered
how the app-based service was
able to gain such a foothold politically
and marginalize the
Medallion drivers. Several of
the speakers complained that
the app-based drivers were getting
preference at LaGuardia
because the yellow taxi stands
are too far from the arrivals
halls that favors the app-based
reservation vehicles. None of
the public mentioned that the
app-based services will also
be charged the surcharge both
to and from the airports rides
as opposed to the $4 surcharge
applied only to pick-ups by the
taxis.
A couple of the taxi drivers
spoke about the shift of support
by the Port and City of
NY to the app-based services.
They said that the Medallion
owners have the priority because
of the agreement made
with them decades ago and
that the app-based cars were
breaking the law “ operating
freely” by picking up passengers
without a reservation,
circumventing the rules in
place by the TLC which does
not allow them to pick-up
without a pre-arranged pickup.
In previous years, the TLC
and PAPD would patrol terminal
areas and look for law
breakers. When found, their
car would be impounded subject
to large fines, a ticket issue
and the driver out of work.
However today, after law
suits, non-taxi cars cannot be
impounded and this may add
to those who are willing to
change illegal pick-ups without
a reservation.
State Senator Comrie, of
the surrounding District 14
testified to the Board at the
meeting, “I have a deep and
impassioned interest in the
recent announcement of Toll-
Fare increases... increased
costs for the consumer,
whether they be taxiing to the
airport, taking the
AirTrain, commuting via
any of a number of our major
bridges and tunnels or riding
the PATH Train.” Specific
to the taxi surcharge
and Airtrain he said, “ The
Taxi/FHV “Airport Fee” as
has been well documented,
the traditional taxi industry
has been in economic freefall
and hardworking folks are
literally driving for their life.
While a new $4 “Airport Fee”
would certainly be convenient
for the Port’s coffers, it would
add up to another in a long series
of actions that, in sum,
threaten the very viability of
the industry.”
Regarding the Airtrain,
he said, “I am concerned
about the steep and drastic increase
in AirTrain prices and
while I understand that the
rationale for hiking the fare
by over 50% is that it has remained
flat for over a decade,
I do not believe it is good, fair
or equitable policy to propose
such a considerable increase
in one-shot. He concluded by
saying” “I believe that the PANYNJ
should carefully and
diligently review all of the
feedback received at their six
public hearings and seriously
consider amending certain aspects
of the plan to achieve a
final resolution that lessens
impacts on riders, drivers and
working families.”
After the meeting that were
a spontaneous meeting with a
PAPD Commander and a few
drivers. The officer listened
to the complaints of abuse by
app drivers and non-licensed
car hustlers. He explained
how the PAPD cracks down on
these drivers and is working
with the Queens DA’s office
to establish harsher penalties
to those hustlers. He asked
these drivers to report any illegal
behavior and his officers
would rally to intercede.
Surprisingly not one
speaker addressed the
AirTrain or other proposed
toll increases. Two of the audience
did speak up and say
that although no one wants
increases, they supported
the plan in general. Both of
these people were part of local
unions who stand to benefit financially
from infrastructure
projects over the years.
The proposed airport
ground transportation access
fee at the metro airports if $4
for pick up by yellow taxis and
both pick up and departure by
the app drivers as in the Los
Angeles model.
Before the series public
hearings, Port Chair O’Toole
said “We look forward to hearing
from the public on the
proposals announced today,
which build on the work of previous
boards and are necessary
to maintain our commitment
to transforming legacy
assets into modern, worldclass
facilities. Port Authority
facilities are vital to the regional
and national economy.
Regional growth is driving
record volumes across our facilities
all while the agency is
delivering on unprecedented
levels of infrastructure investment
capable of meeting
21st century expectations.”