By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — New York City cabdrivers scammed passengers out of more than $8 million over a two-year period by charging them out-of-city rates, city officials revealed on Friday.
Nearly 36,000 taxi drivers overcharged passengers on 1.8 million trips within the city by switching their rates to reflect rides that command higher prices, to places like Kennedy and Newark airports, Long Island and Westchester, the Daily News reported.
The city Taxi and Limousine Commission analyzed information from a 26-month period using electronic GPS data to track the hacks’ trips.
Of the 35,558 offending cabbies, 3,000 reportedly pulled off the scam on multiple occasions — costing riders a total of $8.3 million, the Daily News said.
The issue will be hopefully be taken care of in the next few weeks when officials plan to provide an electronic alert that will appear in the backseat monitor if the cabdriver activates the meter's out-of-city rate.