The Park Ave North > Getting Around NYC > Taxis

Taxis 

There are 13,087 taxis operating in New York City, not including over 40,000 other for-hire vehicles.Their distinctive yellow paint has made them New York icons.

Taxicabs are operated by private companies and licensed by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. "Medallion taxis", the familiar yellow cabs, are the only vehicles in the city permitted to pick up passengers in response to a street hail. A cab’s availability is indicated by the lights on the top of the car. When just the center light showing the medallion number is lit, the cab is empty and available. When no lights are lit, the cab is occupied by passengers.

241 million passengers rode in New York taxis in 1999. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, of the 42,000 cabbies in New York, 82% are foreign born: 23% from the Caribbean (the Dominican  Republic and Haiti), and 20% from South Asia (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh).

Taxis are a good value in New York, and with a little basic information, you soon can ride like a native New Yorker! Taxi service, except at peak travel hours, generally seems to be the best way to get around town quickly and efficiently. However, you should prepare yourself for what may feel a bit like a carnival ride. Taxi drivers here are generally aggressive drivers, and it takes a little getting used to...though the kids seem to love it!

Do note: it is against the law for a taxi cab driver to refuse a person based on race, disability, or a passenger's requested destination in New York City. A taxicab driver is required to drive a passenger to any destination in the five city boroughs. You can make a refusal complaint by calling 311. Just make sure you have the cab's medallion number. Do ask for and keep your printed receipt.

How much does a taxi trip cost? As you can imagine, that all depends how far you are traveling and what the traffic is like. Fares begin at US$2.50 (US$3.00 after 8:00pm, and US$3.50 during the peak weekday hours of 4:00pm to 8:00pm) and increase based on the distance traveled and time spent in slow traffic. The passenger also must pay the fare whenever a cab is driven through a toll. On an average ride in Manhattan, expect to pay between $8 and $12. Do remember to tip.

To take the subway or the bus? If you have more than 2 people in your party, it usually makes good sense to just hail a taxi. Please note that the passenger limit is FOUR people (five including driver), although additional passenger must be accepted if such passenger is under the age of seven and is held on the lap of an adult passenger seated in the rear. Please don’t ask the driver to ‘overlook’ additional people. The fines are quite high, and very few drivers will take that risk.

Please note that you must also pay any bridge or tunnel tolls. Some other things to keep in mind:
Always buckle up!
Always request a printed receipt from the driver.
You may request a radio-free (silent) trip.
You have a right to smoke and incense-free air.
It is your right to choose what route to take.
It is your right to go to any destination in New York City.
Trips outside the City have a different rate and are at the discretion of the driver.
For complete information about New York City taxi fares and rules and regulations, please visit the Taxi & Limousine Commission's (TLC) official site. Call 311 with complaints, or you fill out an on-line complaint using the form found at the offical website. From JFK airport to or from Manhattan, a FLAT FARE of $45 plus all tolls applies at all times. Note that there is never any charge for luggage or additional passengers. Note also that if your taxi from JFK makes more than one stop in Manhattan, the driver will charge you $45 after the first stop, then turn on the meter. The last passenger must pay the amount on the meter. (New as of December 2006, this fare DOES apply going from Manhattan to JFK.)

Newark taxis charge rates different from New York City taxis, and fare structure is complex. Ensure that the taxi dispatcher at Newark airport gives you a yellow brochure and writes down the taxi medallion number and estimated fare before you leave the airport. There may be additional charges per passenger or piece of luggage. For NYC taxis to Newark airport, in additional to the metered fare, there is a $15 surcharge plus round-trip tolls to AND from the airport.

Many people inquire as to what the rules are regarding child safety seats and seatbelts in taxicabs. Officially, drivers of yellow medallion taxicabs and for-hire vehicles and their passengers are exempt from laws regarding car seats and seatbelts. While the Taxi and Limousine Commission encourages everyone in the vehicle to buckle their seatbelts while riding in a cab, there are no rules regarding this. Hence, infants may ride in any taxi at a parent's discretion. Of course, passengers with children are encouraged to bring their own car seats, which the drivers must allow passengers to install. Note that children under the age of seven are permitted to sit on an adult's lap, but that this is considered inadequate by safety experts in case of an accident. Our advice is if you will be taking cabs with a small infant, bring a car seat.

What about service animals and pets? Taxicabs are required to welcome service animals. If the passenger states that the animal is a service animal, then the driver must, regardless of whether the animal is secured or not, allow them in the taxicab. If non-service animals are not in a secure kennel case, drivers may elect to transport or not transport them and the accompanying passenger.

For people with wheelchairs please note that drivers are required to fold up wheelchairs and place them in the trunk. Also, please note that a recently-passed rule now requires that drivers not engage the taximeter until a disabled passenger has been settled in, and the ride is about to commence.

Finally, would you like to request demand-responsive WHEELCHAIR- ACCESSIBLE service? In New York City it is your legal right to do so! Enacted in 2001, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) For-Hire Vehicle (FHV) Rule 6-07(f) requires each For-Hire Vehicle base station (livery, black car and luxury limousine) to provide wheelchair-accessible service to persons with disabilities upon request, at an equivalent price and service level as non-wheelchair-accessible transportation. This also includes base stations located outside of New York City but licensed by the TLC.

Feel free to contact any of the following TLC-licensed for-hire vehicle bases for accessible service upon request: