NYC Cabbies: Economics at Root of Outer-Borough Refusals
A taxi driver gives change to a customer on 7th Avenue at Penn Station. (Getty Images)
(New York, NY -- Kathleen Horan, WNYC) Complaints about taxi drivers refusing to take passengers to their desired destinations have increased by more than a third over the last year. So the city is moving ahead with a plan to increase fines and penalties. Officials hope expensive tickets and the risk of suspended, or even a revoked license will stop drivers from saying "no" to customers. Drivers say that while there are many reasons why they decline a trip--most agree, the overall problem is essentially a financial one.
"Refusals stick in the craw of a lot of New Yorkers," said Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky. "It may be a small issue in terms of dollars and cents compared to other things, but it's a big issue in terms of how it feels."
It's not as if drivers loathe going to the outer boroughs — most live there. But to be successful, drivers said they have to focus on volume and not distance.   For the rest of the story, click here.
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