Uber, Lyft and independent taxi drivers gathered outside of Gov. Kathy Hochul's Manhattan office on Friday to ask for exemption from the Manhattan business district's upcoming congestion pricing tolling.

Drivers say that with the price of gas and cost of living continuously rising in New York City, the congestion tax will only make it harder for them to make ends meet.

They say that since 2019, they've been paying a $2.75 congestion tax when driving below 96th Street. This charge came as part of the city's first attempt to decrease traffic and improve air quality in midtown.

The second phase of the congestion pricing plan is expected to charge these drivers up to $23, an amount that some drivers outside of the governor's office estimate could cost them around $7,000 per year.

The group of concerned drivers tried to deliver a petition to the governor's office with over 10,000 signatures asking lawmakers to slam the brakes on the second phase of congestion pricing, but security at the Manhattan office told them to send the petition to Albany instead.

Organizers of today's gathering say that if they don't get a response to their concer