Look out folks, it seems as though the ongoing war between rideshares and taxis is only getting uglier. The recent lifting of restrictions by San Francisco International Airport which allowed Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar use of their passenger pick-up and drop-off zones, meant that the airport stopped being cab companies’ last bastion of non-competitive monopoly. In response, a number of taxi drivers staged a strike yesterday at SFO, blocking lanes, backing up traffic, and stopping not only car-sharers, but also shuttles and passenger vehicles from getting around the terminals. Obviously this well thought out plan was expected to bring nothing but goodwill towards cabs, but instead it was perceived as an obstinate temper tantrum by a dying industry unwilling to change their ways to keep up with technology or competition by demanding special allowances “to level the playing field.”
According to Twitter, drivers were also handing out flyers decrying the new regulations for rideshares, saying that allowing them access to the airport “makes it impossible for us to compete,” despite the fact that cabs pay a $2 surcharge for airport runs, while Uber pays $4. Additionally, the flyer states that while taxi apps do exist, they do not allow for airport bookings, which is odd since that’s one of Flywheel’s major selling points, and one I personally used last month to take a pre-scheduled taxi to the airport. The biggest real gripe taxi drivers have is the fact that rideshare cars are not subject to similar regulations when it comes to ADA compliance or vehicle inspections, along with the lack of commercial insurance in case something goes wrong (although Uber, for example, does provide a comprehensive level of insurance as long as the Uber app is turned on).
Up until this very annoying strike, I actually felt kind of bad for taxis. Drivers who’ve been slaving away to own their cab, to purchase a medallion, and learn the city streets have kind of been screwed by the ongoing march of technology making life easier for the rest of us. But unfortunately for these protesting drivers, standing in the way of progress to protect an antiquated system is clearly not the way to go. Paying by phone, rating systems, and the ability to see how much your ride is in advance are good starts for taxis to be able to compete. This talk about “leveling the playing field” is a silly idea; even with ADA regulations and vehicle inspections, there’s a reason ridesharing is so much more popular than cabs, and unless those cab companies are willing to play ball, they’ll certainly be left in the dust. All yesterday’s strike reminded us of what how annoying taxis can be sometimes.
[Via Techcrunch, photo by Nick Fisher/Flickr]
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