Suggested Tips In New York City Taxis To Be Phased Out

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Some changes are in store for New York City taxi riders.

WCBS 880's Marla Diamond On The Changes Coming To The Inside Of The NYC Taxi

This will be the last week for default tip suggestions of $2, $3 and $4. Those options now appear in about half the fleet whenever a credit card fare is below $15.

On a quick ride, a $4 tip could be nearly as much as the cost of the trip.

"Instead of a fixed dollar amount the tip calculator will set the default tips at a percentage of the fare -- 20 percent, 25 percent, or 30 percent," Taxi and Limousine Commission Commissioner David Yassky told 1010 WINS. "The passenger can choose which of those are more appropriate or if the passenger wishes he or she could always enter any amount they choose."

Yassky said the new tip system is designed to help passengers determine what the appropriate tip should be.

"Most people calculate tips as a percentage of the charge...so the idea is to give passengers default tip options that closer to what people do in practice," he said.

Meanwhile, the big news in taxi service has been the city's proposed fleet of 18,000 new livery cabs. The cabs will be allowed to pick up street hails in northern Manhattan and the four other boroughs starting later this year.

Also, according to the New York Times, under a plan to be released next month, backseat TV screens will not be required in the new cabs.

What do you think of the new taxi initiatives? Let us know below...

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