Photo by Samer Farha

If you take a cab today and it seems a little more expensive than usual, it’s not because the driver is trying to cheat you—it’s because a new schedule of higher fares for the city’s taxicabs went into effect today.

Under the new fare structure, the $3 for just getting into the cab stays the same (it also covers the first eighth of a mile traveled), while each eighth thereafter will cost you 27 cents. All told, that means that the per-mile charges will have climbed from $1.50 to $2.16. The per-hour wait fee has also increased, from $15 to $25 an hour, and that translates to roughly $2 for every five minutes you’re stuck in traffic.

Most of the surcharges we’ve grown used to, though, have been scrapped. While the current $1 gas surcharge will remain in effect until June 20, after that it will disappear. No longer will you pay anything for each additional passenger, unless you’re in a van, and then it’s $1 per additional passenger. Each bag you put in the trunk will still cost 50 cents, though small bags, briefcases and shopping bags won’t count.

So how will this affect your wallet? If you’re traveling a mile by yourself, the old fares would have you pay $5.25 (base fare plus $1 gas surcharge), while under the new fares you’d shell out $5.89 (base fare plus gas surcharge). Go two miles and the fares will increase from $6.75 to $7.05, and so on. (This all changes slightly with traffic, of course.) After June 20, though, you can say goodbye to the $1 gas surcharge that was constantly being renewed. Also, the more people you ride with, the better off you’ll be: under the old far structure, additional passengers cost $1.50 a pop. The Post has a handy fare calculator if you want to do more comparisons.

Of course, just because the fares go into effect today doesn’t mean you’ll yet be charged them. Many can drivers will have to get their meters re-calibrated, and that could take another few weeks. If you get into a cab and aren’t sure, ask. If a can driver starts doing back-of-the-envelope calculations at the end of a ride and quotes you a higher price than what’s listed on the meter, pay what’s on the meter.