Uber And NYC Yellow Taxis Team Up To Fight Driver Shortage
Uber and yellow cabs in New York City will collaborate because Uber has been unable to keep up with demand and taxi drivers have been experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the outbreak.
Consequently, Curb Mobility and Creative Mobile Technologies (CMT), who supply technology solutions to the more than 13,000 yellow cabs operating in New York City, will have access to a much bigger customer.
Cab drivers may see an increase in the number of trips they provide as a result of the arrangement. Starting this summer, travelers will be able to summon yellow taxis using smartphone applications developed by the two corporations in partnership.
In a statement, Guy Peterson, Uber’s director of business development, stated, “No longer do they have to worry about obtaining a fare during off-peak hours or receiving a street hail back to Manhattan while in the outerboroughs.” “And this is a significant victory for bikers.”
The cost of a cab trip will be similar to that of an Uber X ride, but taxi drivers will be reimbursed in accordance with New York’s ride-hail pay guidelines, which are on average higher than metered rates, according to Curb.
The agreement, which was announced on Thursday, comes at a time when more cities are attempting to regulate Uber and other app-based ride-hailing services, such as New York City, which has placed a temporary cap on the number of new licenses for ride-hailing services in the city for the remainder of 2018. The arrangement is beneficial to both parties.
The New York City Workers Alliance (NYCWA), a taxi driver advocacy organization that has attacked Uber and other ride-hailing apps, has said that it would push for discussions with the ride-hailing companies.
According to Bhairavi Desai, the executive director of the New York City Waterfront Alliance, “Uber is reverting to its roots: yellow cabs” because its business model failed to protect drivers from passenger declines and increasing gas expenses, according to a statement released Thursday.