Though there has been support for a taxi hailing app in NY, there has also been criticism of the idea. According to Metro, some drivers think that having an app that would allow users to hail and pay for cabs on their smartphones would result in fewer cabs for spontaneous hailing, or lead to cab drivers focusing too much on their phones. However, apps like Uber, GetTaxi and Taxi Magic already allow users to hail cabs.
The Livery Roundtable, a foundation that represents livery drivers, spoke out negatively against the Taxi and Limousine Commissions‘ consideration to accept app proposals that let people pay for, hail and rate cabs. The roundtable said that pre-ordering cabs would blur the line with its own industry. Charbel Sfeir, yellow cab driver, pointed out another possible issue,”What happens if you are on Tenth Street and Greenwich, and I’m on 12th Street and Washington. You hit request, and I’ll respond – I’ll be there within minutes. (But) sometimes people are running late to work, so they don’t want to wait for me to pick them up, and they will get into a cab driving by or dropping off someone else.” He also expressed concern with getting a ticket while waiting for a passenger on a street with little or no parking.
Uber already uses black livery cars in NY, but earlier this month they announced that they want to soon expand into yellow cabs. However, such an app would still be illegal under TLC rules. Though city officials are hoping to legalize mobile payments for cabs soon, it will not happen before February, when a contract with the credit card payment company ends.
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