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What is involved in becoming a cab driver in Philly? Is it medallion costs, vehicle costs (buying or renting), tests, etc.? Another example of backlash to Uber
by ripb 12y ago
What is involved in becoming a cab driver in Philly? Is it medallion costs, vehicle costs (buying or renting), tests, etc.?
Another example of backlash to Uber/Hailo etc. has been the London black taxis. Their operators study for years for very difficult tests in order to be licensed operators, and pay significant costs in doing so, and as such I can understand why they would be irritated by competition coming in without these conditions, but if these conditions don't exist then it's market protectionism at a cost to the consumer.
- DanBC 12y agoLondon black cabs can use a meter and don't need pre-booking. London private hire cabs must be pre-booked and they must arrange a price before travelling - they can't use a meter. Uber is free to conform to either of those modes but choses not to.
- kemiller 12y agoI can certainly understand why people who have invested a ton into the current system are upset, but that just argues for a more orderly transition. The Knowledge is pretty well obsolete in the age of GPS. It'd be a sad thing to lose, though.
- logn 12y agoI can see why London operators would be upset. They're the most consistently professional and knowledgeable service force I've ever encountered. And London traffic I think is greatly improved by the road being taken up almost exclusively with taxis and buses, as they're all driving in optimal and intelligent ways.
- ripb 12y agoIndeed, internationally London taxi drivers far outrank their competitors. The only issue, I suppose, is that their base of knowledge - the studying they do, the tests they pass to be licensed, etc. - is already irrelevant in a time of modern GPS and Sat Nav, and will become increasingly so as we begin to move to an era of self-driving vehicles.