17 percent taxi fare hike takes effect Tuesday

A 17 percent fare hike took effect just after midnight, but figuring out which taxis will charge you more is not easy.

The hike is the first across the board fare increase in eight years, raising the average ride from $10 to $12. Cab drivers say it's long overdue, because they've been working longer hours and sitting in heavy traffic with no additional income.

But passengers, especially regular riders, say they're not looking forward to its effect on their bottom lines.

"I take them frequently, so that's kind of heavy in my pocket," one rider said.

"It's kind of ridiculous," another said. "It's an incentive to take the subway."

The increase is significant. A ride between Manhattan and Kennedy Airport that used to cost $45 will now set you back an additional $7 to $52, and that's before tolls and tip.

One bright spot in this latest assault on your pocketbook is that not every cab will have its meters recalibrated and new signs installed right away. Taxis are not required to implement the new fare structure until their first scheduled inspections after September 30, 2012, and so the riding public may see a mixture of taxicabs with both old and new taxi fares for some time to come.

"We anticipate that many taxicab operators will implement the new fare structure as of September 4, so it is extremely important that taxi riders know and understand it," TLC Commissioner David Yassky said. "The taxi industry appears to be experiencing a smooth transition to the new structure, and we want passengers to experience a smooth transition as well."

Cabs with higher prices have the new logos with a large T and smaller NYC. The older fare is in cabs with larger letters saying NYC taxi.

The new medallion taxicab rates of fare will be as follows:

For trips in New York City