The official agenda said hybrid vehicles and only hybrid vehicles, but the taxi drivers wanted to talk only about towering gasoline prices and why the city must impose a $1 fuel surcharge on fares as soon as possible.

That could be months, however. City regulators told the drivers yesterday that any surcharge would have to be studied by the Taxi and Limousine Commission staff, cleared by its chairman and then go before the public for a comment period.

William Lindauer, 61, a cabdriver who regularly testifies at Taxi and Limousine Commission hearings, compared the commissioners to the Federal Emergency Management Agency after Hurricane Katrina.

"You don't rush in to help?" he said at the packed meeting in a voice that was both a shout and a rasp. "Other cities have a surcharge! Are we so stupid?

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