The City Council signed off on a 10.4 percent increase, with the current fare of $2.20 per mile increasing to $2.45 per mile. All this assumes that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa goes along with the plan. The city's Taxicab Commission approved the fare increase in August, citing higher gasoline prices (a $1 fuel surcharge is being dropped). Of course, it's now almost November and gas prices have tumbled. Did you know: L.A. has 2,300 licensed cabs, compared with 11,787 in NY and 6,000 in Chicago.