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The New York Taxi and Limousine commission is attempting to bring NYC Yellow Cabs into the modern age with new technology that enables credit card payments, TV show clips, live GPS data, and public service announcements. But many cabbies are not happy over the expensive price tag to install these devices and the fees to maintain them.

New York taxi drivers this week announced plans to strike in September in opposition to global positioning devices. The city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) announced several years ago that it would switch to hybrid vehicles and wireless devices with GPS or similar tracking technology. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance has protested the plan in the past and now is talking about a full-fledged strike.

Drivers complain that they don’t want to be tracked and can’t afford the installation expense, which is estimated to range from $3,000 to $5,000 per vehicle. They claim the devices could be used to monitor speeding, whereabouts, and other activities in violation their privacy rights.

New Automatic Vehicle Locator technology will log trips automatically, which the TLC said would improve accuracy and help passengers retrieve items they leave behind in cabs. It will not provide passengers with directions, which could cause an annoyance by encouraging “back-seat drivers,” according to the commission. The TLC also has said the technology won’t be used to track drivers.

This modernization program is required for all cabbies to participate in. I feel it is unfair for the city to impose such hefty fees on drivers, considering that there has been no faire increases due to the cost of gasoline and other related cost of living expenses. Also, for drivers to lose as much as 3% during a credit card transactions and $50 a month for the cellular data service, I feel they have a right to be upset.