"Where clout is king, Uber has a direct line to the mayor." [NBC News]

An excertp from a NBC article on how TLC mentions

Here are the take-aways - my opinion

• TLC does not place all the blame on Uber.  NYC City Hall shares the blame for not taking action.
• The city enirched itself with billions of dollars in medallion sales and now are not protecting the drivers.
• Taxi drivers still face a different set of fees and rules than Uber drivers. Taxi drivers in Chicago pay more than $2,000 per year in city fees and taxes, while Uber pays an annual $10,000 fee to the city for permission to operate.

• Uber has deep ties with NYC.  One example is that the mayor's former chief of staff now works at Uber and her family is a big investor of Uber.

Excerpts below:

John Boit, spokesman for the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association, a national group, said operators like Uber aren't solely to blame for undermining what had been a respectable living for generations of drivers — New York's City Hall also deserves blame for not protecting those who had invested in driving careers, he said.

“The city enriched itself with billions of dollars in medallion sales and then allowed a massive influx of new drivers, clogging the streets and bringing down income industrywide,” he said. “The current situation makes it impossible for many to repay their debts. What the drivers need now is a fair solution for their investment in city medallions and a level playing field for the future."

The New York City Taxi Workers Alliance, the local yellow cab union, has called for changes including capping the number of for-hire vehicles operating in the city.

Read more...

An excertp from a NBC article on how TLC mentions

Here are the take-aways - my opinion

• TLC does not place all the blame on Uber.  NYC City Hall shares the blame for not taking action.
• The city enirched itself with billions of dollars in medallion sales and now are not protecting the drivers.
• Taxi drivers still face a different set of fees and rules than Uber drivers. Taxi drivers in Chicago pay more than $2,000 per year in city fees and taxes, while Uber pays an annual $10,000 fee to the city for permission to operate.

• Uber has deep ties with NYC.  One example is that the mayor's former chief of staff now works at Uber and her family is a big investor of Uber.

Excerpts below:

John Boit, spokesman for the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association, a national group, said operators like Uber aren't solely to blame for undermining what had been a respectable living for generations of drivers — New York's City Hall also deserves blame for not protecting those who had invested in driving careers, he said.

“The city enriched itself with billions of dollars in medallion sales and then allowed a massive influx of new drivers, clogging the streets and bringing down income industrywide,” he said. “The current situation makes it impossible for many to repay their debts. What the drivers need now is a fair solution for their investment in city medallions and a level playing field for the future."

The New York City Taxi Workers Alliance, the local yellow cab union, has called for changes including capping the number of for-hire vehicles operating in the city.

Read less...