4 ms·

I think the parent was asking why the licenses were transferable. I can't sell my driver's license to an aspiring driver, why should I be able to sell a taxi li

• Jtsummers 12y ago
  Unless there's a test or certification, transferring them is more like transferring ownership of a car or house. You can't sell your driver's license because that license certifies that you meet the state's minimum demonstration of competence as a driver. A taxi driver has already demonstrated that, they just need permission to act as a taxi driver, which was deliberately made as a scarce resource. It's really more of a coincidence that they are both called licenses, they permit you to do something (drive cars, operate a taxi service), but one certifies competence, the other merely conveys permission. EDIT: Perhaps of interest, I went to Prince Edward Island last year and met some fishermen. Apparently their licenses can be sold (they effectively take out a mortgage given the cost) and are used as a sort of retirement plan by the fishermen that own them. But they also (according to them so I'm not sure the precise legal considerations or if it's convention) require that you spend some years working for licensed fishermen before you can purchase one. So sort of a hybrid between the driver's license and the taxi medallion model.