NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — It is going to be a summer full of large-scale events in New York City, and ahead of the estimated million visitors expected to flock to the region for the FIFA World Cup in the coming weeks, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is cracking down on a crime plaguing visitors' first point of entry: the airport.
"Too often, unwitting visitors are lured away from our validated drivers by unlicensed and predatory hustlers who often charge them exorbitant prices," said Midori Valdivia, commissioner of the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Fares are said to be well into the hundreds on one of these scam rides, and sometimes can put passengers in danger. One example given by Port Authority executive director Kathryn Garcia involves two travelers visiting from Japan who got into one of these vehicles at John F. Kennedy Airport, and were not allowed out unless they complied with the hiked-up fee.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is cracking down on taxi scams as the region expects a large influx of visitors for the FIFA World Cup.Courtesy of the Port Authority
"Once in the vehicle, the hustler demanded $500 for the trip," she said. "First driving them to an ATM, and then when the victims did not comply, driving them to Flushing Meadow Park where he told them: 'If you don't give me the money I'm going to call my friend and this will not end well.'"
New strategies to prevent taxi hustling include more cops at airports and a penalty of five points on one's license if convicted on a summons. Technology that flags the license plates of known taxi hustlers will also be added to airports' repertoires, alerting Port Authority officials when one of the vehicles comes onto airport property.
The Port Authority has given out 3,714 summonses for taxi hustling since the beginning of last year, Garcia said. The new security measures being put in place will continue even after the World Cup.
