By Don McCurdy
Well, according to reports, MIT researchers claim they can cover New York City's taxicab traffic with about 3,000 vehicles, 11,000 vehicles less than the current number of taxi medallions. New Yorkers would have to share their rides, but the traffic congestion decrease would save the city billions if estimates in the report are correct.
I wouldn't want to beat these poor scientists with the reality stick, but the flip side of that story would be the city figuring out how not to spend the entire city budget on lawsuits for the 14,000 medallions that are out there sold by the city. Now, the city didn't sell all of them at hundreds of thousands of dollars, but they sold a bunch of them at that price.
The additional good news is that the routes are "particularly suited for autonomous cars." So let's see, 14,000 medallions turned back in, 14,000 drivers out of work and a lot less traffic, sounds like a win, win, win situation do you think? Gotta love science.
Get the paddles!
Clear! The taxicab industry is on life support in cities across the United States. The mayor of St. Petersburg, FL is reported to be introducing an ordinance to deregulate the vehicle for-hire industry. DC is reported to be passing "emergency provisions" to their taxicab regulations in an effort to "level the playing field," a common cry heard from regulators everywhere. Charlotte is reported to be "tweaking" their regulations.
The stories are too numerous to report on, but what it all boils down to is unregulated or lightly regulated Uber, Lyft, et al are stomping the taxicab industry into dust. Cities have basked in the glory days of regulation to the point that they've hobbled the taxicab industry.
Carrying the huge load of regulation, the taxicab industry simply cannot compete with less burdened competitors. Uber has attacked the industry at the source of their power, the regulators. If the city won't play ball Uber goes to the state level. So far they've hired the right "lobbyists" and political insiders to beat the taxicab industry at their own game.
I have thought for a long time that the medallion and permit schemes across the country were little more than a protection racket for the taxicab industry and said so before Uber burst on the scene. Some cities are resisting, but they are few and will be considered to be poor prospects for conventions and meetings because they don't have Uber.
Speaking of which.
A federal judge is reported to have dismissed a case brought by Boston taxicab drivers. The suit claimed the city violated the equal protection clause by having two sets of rules for taxicabs and shared ride services. The judge pointed out that the state has recently passed legislation barring cities from regulating "transportation network companies," which made their point moot.
Boston has the same problem that New York City has, medallion prices are in free fall. The medallion value was maintained by city regulation of the industry. With no means to keep out the competitors, the taxicab medallion is nearing the same price as an Uber medallion. Oh, yeah, Uber isn't required to have a medallion.
But wait…
This just in, it's being reported that taxicab drivers in New York want the governor to ban Uber's self driving cars for fifty years. Most certainly this would be a last ditch attempt by taxicab drivers to have their good old friend the government save them from competition.
It's not just taxicab drivers who will be obsolete, but limo, bus and truck drivers. Wouldn't it be interesting if twenty years from now everybody except New York had driverless cars? Yeah, that idea ought to boost medallion prices.
Them too?
Last month, San Francisco Yellow Cab filed for chapter 11. This month it's being reported that San Francisco Luxor cab is under "financial strain." While management claims the phones are "ringing off the hook" their problem is reported to be a lack of drivers. Uh huh. I've never driven a cab in San Francisco but every driver I've ever heard tell of their driving decision based their decision on where you make the most money.
The article's chief concern was what to do with the 7,582 wheelchair rides Luxor carries. Gee, at that rate the average is 21 trips a day. It seems like that's not going to be enough to keep Luxor afloat. It would appear that transportation of wheelchair customers is either going to fall to the city or Uber.
Cities are poor in supporting on demand anything that leaves the wheelchair bound wanting. It's a problem that cities have wrestled with for decades and without solvent taxicab companies there doesn't appear to be an easy answer.
Taxi driver author joins the herd.
It would seem that Donald Trump isn't the only wild tweeter although I guess he could be called the "tweeter in chief." It is reported that Paul Schrader, author of the cult classic Taxi Driver (one of my personal favorites) got a visit from a couple of plain clothes detectives from NYPD after tweeting out a "call to violence" after the election of Donald Trump.
Gee, that seems to be rampant in the "freedom loving" left in our country. If you don't like what happens - riot! In the article, Schrader is reported to have said "this is not my fight anymore. It was my fight in the sixties." Gee Pablo I thought the sixties was about something else, like freedom. Let's see, wasn't that a great song Richie Havens sang about needing more government regulations at Woodstock? Oh, wait, that was about freedom, I forgot. Or, perhaps, you forgot.
The article further quoted our political genius as saying the "name calling, racial profiling, bullying - these are not hallmarks of freedom." Oh, you mean like what happened to the True The Vote group? Or perhaps the IRS profiling of conservative groups? Or the name calling of candidate Clinton's "basket of deplorables?" Or maybe you were referring the many attacks on Christian groups? It would seem that there is a considerable group of people wetting their pants over what might happen instead of looking at what is happening.
Hey Paul, want to explain in your next film why Gibson Guitars was raided by a swat team? Calls to violence in a somewhat free society are unacceptable, Paul, whether you have a drinking problem or not. Almost the entire press was and is lying to the American public about what's been going on, but some of us don't just read the local parakeet cage liner, we're out here living it. So, in the future, Paul, stick to writing fantasy, reality seems way too hard for you.
If you have any comments regarding this or any of my articles please feel free to contact me at don@mcacres.com. - dmc
