New York City has one of the most regressive governments in the country. Despite labeling themselves as true progressives, the mayor and the council are quite regressive, and they are placing hurdles to innovation.
On Wednesday, the New York City Council voted to cap the number of licenses for ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft, for one year. This is the first cap adopted by a mjor U.S. city.
The bill will inevitably be signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, who believes the legislation will reduce congestion.
But, wait, there’s more…the city also wants to establish a minimum wage for drivers because there have been six suicides among cab drivers in recent months, says the New York Taxi Workers Alliance.
Uber and Lyft both slammed the move.
“The city’s 12-month pause on new vehicle licenses will threaten one of the few reliable transportation options while doing nothing to fix the subways or ease congestion,” Uber said in a statement.
“These sweeping cuts to transportation will bring New Yorkers back to an era of struggling to get a ride, particularly for communities of color and in the outer boroughs,” Lyft said in a statement.
Since 2015, the number of ride-sharing automobiles in New York City has surged from more than 12,000 to approximately 80,000 in 2018. Meanwhile, about 14,000 yellow Taxis are in operation.
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