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Six Cabbies Found Guilty of Price Gouging by the TLC

By Ben Fractenberg | August 17, 2010 9:51am
Six cabbies were found guilty of ripping off riders by the city administrative judges on Monday.
Six cabbies were found guilty of ripping off riders by the city administrative judges on Monday.
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DNAinfo/Jen Glickel

By Ben Fractenberg

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — It looks like some cabbies were really taking people for a ride.

Six yellow cab drivers were found guilty by city administrative judges of charging passengers out-of-town rates in the five boroughs and now face losing their license and paying an $850 fine, the Daily News reported Tuesday.

The guilty chargers are part of a probe by the Taxi and Limousine Commission into alleged abuses by taxi drivers. The commission began the investigation after releasing a report that said riders were overcharged by more than $1 million in 286,000 separate incidents.

The TLC is going after around 600 drivers suspected of price gouging. The cabbies will face an administrative hearing, and possible criminal charges.

They can also reportedly take a settlement in which the drivers agree to give up their license and pay a fine, but not have to admit guilt. Around 100 cabbies have taken the deal so far.

"We are pleased that the judges agreed with our assessment of the seriousness of their actions and recommended the maximum penalty," Taxi and Limousine Commission spokesman Allan Fromberg told the New York Post.