TAXI RIDERS IN A FIX

Clunkers a peril

Unsafe taxis have become a chronic problem in tthe city as some ferry passsengers around with blown bbrakes and broken doors, The Post has learned.

The potential death traps are springing up because some garages are unwilling to spend the money to fix broken parts — and things will only get worse if the industry continues to falter financially, according to drivers.

“It’s dangerous. It’s scary. A lot of people are complaining,” said Mamadou, a yellow-cab operator who has worked out of a Long Island City-based garage for 15 years and who would only give his first name for fear of retribution.

One hack complained that the brakes went out on the cab he was driving last week but that the garage refused to fix them. The driver said he used low gears and the emergency brake to finally get the car back to Team Systems Taxi Fleet garage in Queens. But when he got there, the mechanics refused to fix the car and instead gave it to another driver, who readily took it back out on the streets because he didn’t want to lose time behind the wheel.

Team Systems Taxi Fleet declined to comment.

“What are you going to do? You got no choice,’’ said another cabby, Donald, who is in his 60s and was driving a taxi with a broken mirror and a smashed-in front door.

Last week, Mayor de Blasio said he won’t bail out the yellow-cab industry, which is struggling under competition from Uber and other cab-hail apps.

Riders are noticing the poor condition of some cabs. One customer said he was terrified when he got into a cab with his 5-yearold son and found that the brakes were barely working.

“Every time we came to a light, the car would screech and there was a grinding sound,” said the passenger, Jason Clark, 35. “It wasn’t stopping like it should have.”

Clark said the cabby was frustrated and told him the garage wouldn’t make the necessary repairs.

Taxi & Limousine Commission officials said the agency catches thousands of safety problems during inspections, which yellow cabs, black cars and other regulated vehicles must get three times annually.

The agency conducted 128,329 inspections last year, according to spokesman Allan Fromberg. Those inspections cover 200 items, including lights, brakes, tires and seat belts. About 28 percent of cars fail their inspections, Fromberg said.