First NYC taxi cab fare hike in 10 years takes effect

A taxi cab fare hike in New York City for the first time in 10 years took effect Monday.

The city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission voted last month to increase base fares from $2.50 to $3 starting this week.

An overnight surcharge will go up by $1 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and there will be a $2.50 surcharge during weekday rush hour from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Taxi trips between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Manhattan will come with a $70 flat fare, while trips to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey will include a $20 surcharge. A trip to LaGuardia Airport will come with a $5 surcharge.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission cited falling driver earnings as the reason for the increase in fares when it voted in November.

The increase in fares comes as New York City Uber drivers took part in a strike Monday expected to last until midnight after being denied a pay raise.

Uber swiftly filed a lawsuit against the pay raise arguing the hike would cost the company millions and would hurt the industry.