As we “March” ahead to longer days and warmer weather, NYC’s rideshare drivers have another reason to have a spring in their step. On March 1, the city’s 84,000 active app drivers are getting a pay bump!
Thanks to the TLC’s minimum driver pay rules, which also account for inflation, Uber and Lyft drivers will see a 3.49% raise. On a 30-minute, 7.5-mile trip, for example, that amounts to about a dollar extra (we also have a handy driver pay calculator that you can bookmark if you’re ever wondering about a fare). If you suspect you’re getting shorted on fares, reach out to driverprotection@tlc.nyc.com.
Back in 2019, New York City was the first U.S. city to mandate minimum driver pay. This is a groundbreaking policy that some other cities have since adopted, and drivers have taken notice. Scores of Uber and Lyft drivers in cities across the world held a strike on Valentine’s Day in a coordinated effort to get similar wages and protections. We’re proud to be a benchmark and international standard – both in compensation and safety – for working-class drivers who keep our city and the world moving.
Keeping costs down for drivers is always one of my goals. I recently visited some EV charging locations in Queens and Brooklyn to talk with new TLC EV drivers, and I heard some heartening stories. One driver, Rigzin Gurung, who has been driving an EV since April 2023, said: “I love it. Less expenses, more reliable, (and) more safety.” He emphasized that customers are happier, and that while he was previously renting a gas-powered car, he was paying $500 a week. Now, he pays about $800 a month for his own EV. If you’ve just set off on your own EV journey, check out nyc.gov/charging. It’s a useful resource page that we’re updating with the newest charging info and incentives.
March is also Women’s History Month, and I want to take a moment to recognize our female drivers. Last year, Patricia Ramirez, a mother from Yonkers, was our top honoree among the 500 safest drivers at our first in-person Vision Zero Honor Roll since the pandemic. We’re proud of the fact that, per miles driven, TLC drivers are the safest in the city. The collective strides made by our licensees was on full display this week as we celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Vision Zero, which has held education sessions with more than 158,330 licensed drivers over that span. We’ve also done more than 700 outreach visits to the city’s for-hire vehicle bases and taxi garages. We’re proud to be a Vision Zero agency!
See you out there,
David Do
Commissioner, NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission
