*By Amanda Weston*
Catching a ride in New York just got more expensive, and passengers aren't the only ones complaining.
"It's a problem for the drivers," Aleksey Medvedovskiy, the president of NYC Taxi Group, told Cheddar Wednesday. "It's a problem for the general public."
As of [early February](https://abcnews.go.com/Business/judge-approves-congestion-pricing-york-city-taxi-uber/story?id=60778450), the new surcharge is $2.50 per fare for taxis and $2.75 for trips with ride hailing companies like Uber and Lyft.
The new fee applies to rides passing through central Manhattan, the site of significant traffic issues. Passengers are responsible for paying the surcharge ー but drivers don't share in any of the profit. The proceeds in their entirety will be directed to the MTA to improve public transportation.
Medvedovskiy said he's dubious about this method.
"I don't think congestion pricing will decrease the amount of traffic in Manhattan," Medvedovskiy said. "I think there should be other solutions, other alternatives besides charging $2.50 and $2.75 for a passenger and passing it off to the state."
While riders will be the ones shelling out the extra cash, Medvedovskiy said drivers are "100 percent" upset.
He added drivers already are forced to fight for passengers, who may now consider taxis a less attractive option, given the extra cost. But his biggest concern, Medvedovskiy said, is the lack of downtime for drivers.
"It's the cars sitting, not servicing the public," Medvedovskiy said. "The drivers don't want to drive because they don't make enough money."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/nyc-taxi-drivers-speak-out-against-new-fee-for-customers).
Fans of the Grand Theft Auto series got a glimpse of the latest release that's not due out until 2025. The trailer was officially released after a leak on the 'X' platform, giving an idea to industry experts of the massive effect GTA will have on the gaming sector. Cheddar News senior reporter Michelle Castillo breaks it all down.
Tax season is around the corner as soon as we conclude the holiday festivities. Mark Steber, chief tax information officer with Jackson Hewitt, joined Cheddar News to discuss some tax changes that people should be aware of and what to expect during next year's tax filing season.
There's a winning lottery ticket in Florida worth $44 million that's gone unclaimed and is set to expire next week.
Getting crafty for the holidays to entertain guests can be pretty expensive. Cheddar News explains how you can do all of that on a budget.
New regulations from the U.S. government may cause the price of electric vehicles to go up.
New data shows job openings fell in October even though hiring remains healthy.
The holiday season is here and it could be a stressful time as people plan shopping, cooking and traveling. Sally Holmes, editor-in-chief of InStyle Magazine, joined Cheddar News to discuss a new social media trend #Treatculture that helps people take a moment to treat themselves and how that is a psychological benefit to relieve stress.
English Wikipedia raked in more than 84 billion views this year, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit behind the free, publicly edited online encyclopedia. And the most popular article was about ChatGPT (yes, the AI chatbot that’s seemingly everywhere today).
Wikipedia has released its list of most viewed articles for 2023 with the site seeing over 84 billion visits. The most searched topic was ChatGPT with nearly 50 billion page views
Closing arguments are happening in a federal trial over whether Jetblue Airways will be allowed to buy Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion.
