New York wants to introduce car-loving America’s first congestion charge, but the move faces fierce opposition — including from the city’s famous yellow taxis.
The plan, similar to pricing long in place in London and Singapore, aims to improve air quality in the Big Apple by easing Manhattan’s traffic-choked streets.
It also seeks to raise much-needed revenue to upgrade a creaking subway system that is used by around four million New Yorkers every day.
The scheme, slated to start next year, is being challenged in court, highlighting the difficulty of levying drivers in a country where car is king.
Officials insist the toll will help the environment by reducing pollution, and make the city that never sleeps more efficient by speeding up travel times.
“Congestion pricing is a generational opportunity,” said John McCarthy, a spokesman for New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
The plan would charge drivers for venturing below 60th Street in Manhattan, an area that encompasses the business districts of Midtown and Wall Street.
The MTA has not yet set rates, but is considering charging $23 during rush hour and $17 for off-peak times.
Taxi driver Wein Chin worries that the charge, which cabbies would pass on to customers, will mean fewer fares.
He earns around $300 to $400 a week and is already struggling to pay off a $170,000 loan he owes for his taxi permit.
Source : Philstar