Taxi Strike Call Fails To Clear The Roads
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The taxi strike organized by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance appears to be a failure, leading to speculation that the city will not meet the drivers’ demands.
Some taxi drivers began their 24-hour strike at 5 a.m. yesterday, protesting the requirement that GPS devices and credit card machines be installed in cabs. The mayor implemented a contingency plan to deal with the work stoppage that allowed drivers to pick up multiple passengers and charge different rates than usual. Due to the low level of participation in the strike, many New Yorkers were unaware it was happening. Mayor Bloomberg told reporters that all indicators pointed to “a typical Monday for cab service.” According to Mr. Bloomberg, the city estimated 95% of fleet cabs were on the road at 9 a.m., compared with a normal rate of 96%.
Cabs could be spotted all over downtown New York, making it easy for passengers to flag down a ride. At the Tribeca Grand Hotel, workers said they had no difficulty hailing cabs for guests. “I haven’t even noticed,” said hotel employee Jay Torres. “It’s been fairly easy to get cabs. Not fairly, actually: Easy.”
One of the drivers who participated in the strike, Arnel Pierre, a 23-year veteran of the taxi fleet, said he was upset about the 5% surcharge on credit card purchases. “Even if the fare’s $3.30, they can use a card,” he said. “They should have a minimum charge.” He said the surcharge is included when passengers pay for tolls, even though he pays full price for the tolls in cash himself.
A managing partner at Ford & Harrison specializing in labor law, Kenneth Stein, predicted the strike would fail. “I think people will tire of it and drivers will tire of losing revenue,” he said, adding that the mayor “has a strong legal position” in the dispute.