Charging fees for congestion on rental vehicles may continue, judge the rules

A judge of the state Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the city's proposed surtax on rental cars could be dealt with after finding that the charge "did not show irreparable harm" for the motor vehicle sector. rental.

A lawsuit filed late December by the New York Taxi Workers' Alliance against the Taxi and Limousine Commission and Governor Andrew Cuomo dismissed the idea that the fees would be "an overwhelming additional burden for a population already facing financial desperation, "said the NYTWA executive. Director Bhairavi Desai.

The surcharge would add travel costs of $ 2.50 for taxis and $ 2.75 for green taxis and other rental vehicles, such as Lyfts and Ubers, making trips to Manhattan below 96th Street. The approximately $ 400 million per year that would be generated by the surtax would be used to finance repairs to the metro. Yellow taxis already have a 50 cent fee that goes directly to the MTA – Congestion charges would provide additional funding to the MTA.

In addition to deciding that the surcharge could continue, Justice Lynn R. Kotler rejected the state's request to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that the TWA's concerns merited further investigation. New York Times reports.

"We believe triumphantly that the request for revocation of the state has been rejected and that we can hope that the state will eventually take the measures that impose and spare drivers the poverty and the crisis that would result from this congestion charge, "said Desai in a statement on Thursday. . "We are asking the governor not to go ahead with fees that will force drivers to choose between food and medicine."

Desai added that the implementation of the victim surcharge before the end of the trial could put the industry in a difficult situation, as it must find a way to reimburse the pbadengers if the drivers win their lawsuit.

Patrick Muncie, a spokesman for Cuomo, said at the Time that this decision was "a positive step in our efforts to find a dedicated source of revenue for our subways and buses, as well as to reduce congestion in Manhattan's central business district."

The surtax on rental vehicles was to come into effect on January 1, but a temporary restraint order issued in late December prevented it from taking effect.

The value of yellow taxi medals has dropped against the competition of apps such as Uber and Lyft. In June, it was announced that 139 medallions would be auctioned. The medallions were once worth $ 1.3 million, but were recently auctioned for only $ 160,000. According to Taxi Workers Alliance, eight professional drivers in New York have committed suicide over the past year. In October, the Taxi and Limousine Commission announced that it would waive the $ 1,100 renewal fee for the city's 11,286 medallion owners.