NY taxi drivers strike again over tracking system

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Some New York taxi drivers went on strike on Monday for a second time over a requirement for cabs to install tracking systems and credit card payment machines that they say is costly and will invade privacy.

Bhairavi Desai, the executive director of the Taxi Workers Alliance, which organized the 24-hour walkout, said thousands of drivers had stayed home and disputed reports that most of the city's 13,000 cabs were on the road.

"What matters is, did the full-time steady drivers go on strike? Did they hold the line? And from all of the reports that we are getting, the answer is yes," Desai told reporters.

An initial two-day strike was held in early September against the new rules imposed by city authorities, which were intended as a benefit to passengers. The new systems feature a touch-screen that allows passengers to watch television, track their progress on a map and pay by credit card.

The system has been installed in almost 4,000 taxis, and all 13,000 cabs have to be outfitted by January 31, said Allan Fromberg, a spokesman for the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

But some cab drivers say the system will invade their privacy, absorb 5 percent of total fares and make driving less comfortable since the systems generate heat. A legal bid by the Taxi Workers Alliance to block the system failed last month.

"I'm against GPS and I'm against 5 percent," said one driver, Raza Hassan, after dropping off several passengers. But he said he was not striking because "I have two kids and I have to pay rent."

Drivers who did come to work should expect a better payday because the city's contingency plan allows them to pick up multiple fares and to charge a higher flat rate.

John Dimen, 38, a fire department lieutenant, opted for the bus with his wife and daughter.

He said the new system seemed like a good idea in the long run, but said he respected the drivers' right to strike. "It's the American way," he said.