New Yorkers ordering a ride on the Uber app will be
able to choose a yellow taxi under a new partnership between the ride-hail
company and Curb and CMT. two taxi technology companies.
The taxi option will begin later this spring and
will be available to all Uber riders in New York City, Uber said.
Uber riders will pay roughly the same price for a
yellow taxi as in an UberX car, which is the basic individual ride, according
to Uber. They will get a price upfront in the app before they request the trip,
as they currently do with all Uber rides.
Yellow cabdrivers will also see a ride’s pricing
upfront and under the deal will have the option to accept or reject it. The
partnership between Uber and the taxi companies Curb and CMT was first reported
Thursday by The Wall Street Journal.
The Uber-taxi partnership comes as New York City’s
yellow taxi industry faces a crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic
and the consequent decrease in passengers, as more people work from home and
many tourists are staying away.
But even before the pandemic, taxi drivers were
losing fares to Uber’s and Lyft’s ride-app services and facing financial ruin
after taking out loans to buy medallions — city-issued permits required to own
a yellow cab — at inflated prices.
Uber has faced its own challenges during the
pandemic, struggling to find enough drivers to meet demand.
The new Uber-taxi partnership did not require the
approval of the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, which oversees the taxi
industry.
Uber already has partnerships with taxi fleets and
technology companies in other global cities, which allows Uber riders to order
taxis on the app.
“Uber has a long history of partnering with the
taxi industry to provide drivers with more ways to earn and riders with another
transportation option,” said Andrew Macdonald, a senior vice president of mobility
and business operations for Uber. “Our partnerships with taxis look different
around the world, and we’re excited to team up with taxi software companies CMT
and Curb, which will benefit taxi drivers and all New Yorkers.”
From The New York Times (edited)
