Some NYC cab drivers participated Monday in a second strike against the installment of interactive GPS devices and credit card machines on their cars. The strike was organized by the Taxi Workers Alliance which claims that it represents about a fifth of the city's 44,000 licensed cab drivers. New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, which claims to represent 10,000 taxi drivers (thus more than TWA), opposed the strikes.

However, it's still unclear how many of their alleged members participated in the strike. The City made special rules for the day of the strike, which imposed a special charging mode and required working yellow cabs to pick up multiple passengers. The special payment system had cab passengers pay $10, plus $5 for each new "zone" they passed through.

"The contingency plan we have created will ensure that New Yorkers, as well as visitors to our city, are able to travel without serious disruptions," said Office of Emergency Management head Joseph Bruno.

Most yellow cabs allegedly already have the new high-tech equipment, consisting in an interactive GPS device, a TV and a credit card reader. Under the new contested city rules, all cabs are required to have GPS and credit card machines to pass their next vehicle inspections.

Matthew W. Daus, the New York Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) commissioner, said that improvements and fare increases, "have allowed drivers to benefit from participation in the strongest and most viable taxi industry of its century-long history."

"Experience shows that most drivers appreciate this, and will show their appreciation by doing what they do best and serving the riding public," he said in a prepared statement. "As before, we will have a contingency plan to maximize these drivers' efforts, which will be particularly helpful given the fact that Mondays are traditionally among the slowest days for taxicab leasing."

On the other side, cabbies represented by the Taxi Workers Alliance allege that the new devices infringe on their "privacy" and the credit card machines do not work in all areas, exposing them to the risk of a payment being rejected after the customer already left the vehicle. Having such devices also means they will have to declare everything they earn and pay the associated taxes. However, the City's tests have shown the credit card machine works around 99 percent of the time.

During last month's two-stay strike, on Sept. 5-6, some drivers who worked said they made three times their normal day's pay (partly because they hiked prices), which sent a lot of drivers back onto the streets for the second day. This time, apart from the fixed pricing system mentioned above, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that any driver charging or attempting to charge fares in excess of those authorized by the TLC will be prosecuted.