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New Yorkers ordering rides through the Uber app can opt for a yellow taxi as part of a new partnership between the ride-hailing company and the two taxi tech companies.
Uber said the taxi option will launch this spring and will be available to all Uber drivers in New York City.
Uber drivers will pay roughly the same price for a yellow taxi as they would for an UberX car, which is the basic individual ride, according to Uber. As with all Uber rides right now, they’ll get an upfront price in the app before requesting a ride.
Yellow taxi drivers who respond to Uber app calls will also see the price of a ride upfront and have the option to accept or decline it under the deal. The partnership between Uber and taxi companies Curb and CMT was first reported on Thursday by The Wall Street Journal.
The Uber-taxi partnership is the bane of New York City’s struggling yellow taxi industry. destroyed by the coronavirus pandemic because more people worked from home and many tourists stayed away.
But even before the pandemic, taxi drivers were losing wages on Uber and Lyft’s ride-hailing app services, and then faced financial ruin. take credit Buying medallions – city-issued permits required to own a yellow taxi – at inflated prices.
Uber has faced challenges of its own during the pandemic and has struggled to find enough drivers to meet demand. The new partnership will help fill the gap and also generate more revenue for the company as it charges a fee for every trip ordered through its app.
City officials said the new Uber-taxi partnership does not require approval from the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, which oversees the taxi industry, but the agency will continue to oversee rules covering rental drivers.
New Yorkers will still be able to wave yellow taxis on the street.
Uber said it will provide more details on the taxi option in the coming months. Uber already has partnerships with taxi fleets and technology companies in other global cities, allowing Uber drivers to order taxis through the app.
“Uber has a long history of partnerships with the taxi industry to provide drivers with more ways to earn and provide drivers with another transportation option,” said Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s senior vice president of mobility and commercial operations. “Our partnerships with taxis look different around the world, and we are excited to work with taxi software companies CMT and Curb to benefit taxi drivers and all New Yorkers.”
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