Suicides, Traffic Hell in NYC Spur Second Look at Uber’s Growth
- Cabbies say rise of ride sharing has cut all drivers’ earnings
- Empty cars-for-hire fill Manhattan streets, costing billions
Buses and taxis drive down Lexington Avenue in New York.
Photographer: Scott Eells/Bloomberg
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In New York, the rise of Uber and other ride-share companies means gridlock on Manhattan streets, as more cabs than ever vie to serve commuters, residents and tourists. It also means a decimated taxi industry, punctuated by the suicides of six cabbies in seven months.
Three years ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio sought a temporary cap on Uber’s growth to study its impact on congestion. The City Council did away with that proposal after the company ran a million-dollar television ad and lobbying campaign. At the time, 12,600 app-based transportation vehicles navigated city streets. Today there’s 80,000, with 2,000 added every month.