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Yeah, and it's never been easier to get a taxi in NYC. They artificially restricted the supply of medallions since at least the 70s, and that led to a severe un
by exelius 11y ago
Yeah, and it's never been easier to get a taxi in NYC. They artificially restricted the supply of medallions since at least the 70s, and that led to a severe undersupply of taxis (especially in the outer boroughs). Uber has largely fixed this.
- nemo44x 11y agoIt's even better for the taxi drivers who have to rent the medallions for 12 hour shifts. There were more drivers than taxi's until recently and drivers would bid the rental prices up. It was either that or they didn't make any money. Now garages sit with extra cars. Instead of paying up to $250 for a shift drivers now have the power and can pick between garages and get a car for $125 now. That's money directly in their pocket. Every NYC cabbie I've spoken to who doesn't own a medallion loves Uber for precisely this reason. I'm sure it will balance out but certainly not in the garages favor. But for people with a hack license and an Uber account, they have the power to pick and choose which option serves them best today and that might mean driving a cab one day and driving their Uber the next. It's for precisely this reason I can't see why the left tends to be suspicious of Uber in NYC. I think it's great drivers have agency.
- akgerber 11y agoThe outer borough Green Cab system also plays a huge part— the licenses to drive a green cab are available for a few thousand dollars, and thus the formerly illegal-but-accepted car service street hail system has been brought into a legal framework.