Anti Federalist
07-24-2015, 04:20 PM
A fair ride for New Yorkers: How the city should respond to the rapid rise of Uber
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/bill-de-blasio-fair-ride-new-yorkers-article-1.2296041
Our responsibilities as public servants are clear: We're here to keep people safe, make sure workers and consumers are treated fairly, and keep this city growing and competitive.
And right now, like cities across the country and around the world, we're working to do all those things in an industry that's changing fast: the for-hire vehicle sector being reshaped by fast-growing companies like Uber.
More than 2,000 new for-hire vehicles are being added to our streets every month, overwhelming the most congested parts of Manhattan. For perspective, that means we're facing the addition of over 25,000 cars to our streets over the next year — the rough equivalent of two times the total number of yellow taxis in all of New York City.
While most businesses recognize the role of the city to set basic standards and look out for the broader public interest, Uber — a $40 billion corporation — is out with multi-million dollar ads trying to convince New Yorkers that it doesn't need more oversight.
The number of for-hire vehicles is soaring.
This isn't just a New York City issue. In Uber's home state of California, a court just recommended that the company be suspended and fined $7.3 million for failing to share data with the state, as required by law, to ensure they are not discriminating against passengers.
London is looking at capping or slowing the increase in new for-hire services to address the growing crush of traffic on its streets. Massachusetts has moved to raise standards for Uber's workers. And Uber has tangled with regulators in jurisdictions across the country over basic insurance requirements to keep drivers and passengers protected.
When you consider what's at stake — from ensuring workers can make a decent living, to managing the surge of more than 2,000 new cars on our streets every month, to protecting consumers from overcharges, to making sure we have more accessible vehicles for New Yorkers with disabilities — it's our responsibility to act.
New York City's for-hire vehicles have been regulated lightly compared to other sectors for decades because they were a relatively small part of our transportation system. That's all changed.
The upside for riders has been more options when someone needs a ride, and that's a very positive thing. But there are a host of challenges that come with this, and now that Uber has gone from upstart innovator to operating more cars than anyone else, we have to make sure that the rules are fair for all New Yorkers.
We want a data-driven approach, guided by detailed study, so we can develop a comprehensive, long-term strategy for a thriving, sustainable and innovative for-hire car market. And we support a short pause in the rapid increase of for-hire vehicles to make sure that the future growth of this industry lives up to the policies and principles we set out as a city.
We'll ensure that current service remains in place — and can even grow modestly — but our goal is to ensure that our streets aren't flooded with tens of thousands more cars before we can stand up new rules to govern the marketplace.
The principles that drive us are simple:
Protect workers. This industry is evolving so rapidly, with the number of vehicles skyrocketing even as the pool of New Yorkers who can afford to pay $10 or $20 to take a car trip is far more limited.
There's a point at which more and more drivers will find themselves fighting over the same group of riders — something we see already with 72% of pick-ups made by high-growth companies like Uber taking place in the heavily congested Manhattan core.
While we see real benefits to drivers able to supplement their income and work with greater flexibility, we still need basic standards that ensure people who work hard in this sector can earn a decent living.
Protect riders. Riders deserve honest rates and security against surge-pricing schemes that look an awful lot like price-gouging. And Uber shouldn't get immunity if one of its drivers attacks or injures a customer.
Improve accessibility. We need to end discrimination in our transportation system. Because of hard work, half of all yellow taxis will become wheelchair accessible by 2020. But there are now nearly five times as many for-hire cars than yellow taxis on our streets — and next to no compliance with the requirement that they provide accessible service to people with disabilities. We need more accessibility among for-hire vehicles.
Invest in public transit. For-hire trips by Uber and other companies should contribute to the MTA, just like every taxi trip currently gives 50 cents to keep our transit running. The MTA is facing a capital shortfall of more than $15 billion over the coming five years, and the millions of riders who depend on our subways and buses see that deficit in delays and overcrowding.
We need everyone, Uber included, to pay a fair share so we can invest in the subways and buses that millions of New Yorkers rely upon every day.
Promote low-carbon transportation. The city is focused on making our transportation more sustainable by improving access to ride-sharing, investing in low-carbon and multi-modal options like walking and biking, and reducing dependency on private fossil fuel vehicles.
Keep our transportation system moving. More than 2,000 new for-hire vehicles are being added to our streets every month, overwhelming the most congested parts of Manhattan, and traffic is getting worse. Last year was the slowest year on record for the streets of the Manhattan — barely 8.5 mph on average, and preliminary data from this May shows speeds dropping further to under 8 mph.
We need to find a way to manage the huge increase in new vehicles to keep our streets moving, protect air quality and make sure our buses and other vehicles can also get around.
Uber is welcome in New York City. Passengers deserve more and better service — and new companies like Uber are helping provide it. There are and will continue to be more for-hire cars and drivers on our roads than at any time in our history.
But no company's multi-billion-dollar political war chest gives it a blank check to skirt vital protections and oversight for New Yorkers. We wouldn't let ExxonMobil or Wal-Mart or any other corporate giant operate in New York City without basic rules in place to protect the public. And no number of lobbyists or ad campaigns will change that.
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/bill-de-blasio-fair-ride-new-yorkers-article-1.2296041
Our responsibilities as public servants are clear: We're here to keep people safe, make sure workers and consumers are treated fairly, and keep this city growing and competitive.
And right now, like cities across the country and around the world, we're working to do all those things in an industry that's changing fast: the for-hire vehicle sector being reshaped by fast-growing companies like Uber.
More than 2,000 new for-hire vehicles are being added to our streets every month, overwhelming the most congested parts of Manhattan. For perspective, that means we're facing the addition of over 25,000 cars to our streets over the next year — the rough equivalent of two times the total number of yellow taxis in all of New York City.
While most businesses recognize the role of the city to set basic standards and look out for the broader public interest, Uber — a $40 billion corporation — is out with multi-million dollar ads trying to convince New Yorkers that it doesn't need more oversight.
The number of for-hire vehicles is soaring.
This isn't just a New York City issue. In Uber's home state of California, a court just recommended that the company be suspended and fined $7.3 million for failing to share data with the state, as required by law, to ensure they are not discriminating against passengers.
London is looking at capping or slowing the increase in new for-hire services to address the growing crush of traffic on its streets. Massachusetts has moved to raise standards for Uber's workers. And Uber has tangled with regulators in jurisdictions across the country over basic insurance requirements to keep drivers and passengers protected.
When you consider what's at stake — from ensuring workers can make a decent living, to managing the surge of more than 2,000 new cars on our streets every month, to protecting consumers from overcharges, to making sure we have more accessible vehicles for New Yorkers with disabilities — it's our responsibility to act.
New York City's for-hire vehicles have been regulated lightly compared to other sectors for decades because they were a relatively small part of our transportation system. That's all changed.
The upside for riders has been more options when someone needs a ride, and that's a very positive thing. But there are a host of challenges that come with this, and now that Uber has gone from upstart innovator to operating more cars than anyone else, we have to make sure that the rules are fair for all New Yorkers.
We want a data-driven approach, guided by detailed study, so we can develop a comprehensive, long-term strategy for a thriving, sustainable and innovative for-hire car market. And we support a short pause in the rapid increase of for-hire vehicles to make sure that the future growth of this industry lives up to the policies and principles we set out as a city.
We'll ensure that current service remains in place — and can even grow modestly — but our goal is to ensure that our streets aren't flooded with tens of thousands more cars before we can stand up new rules to govern the marketplace.
The principles that drive us are simple:
Protect workers. This industry is evolving so rapidly, with the number of vehicles skyrocketing even as the pool of New Yorkers who can afford to pay $10 or $20 to take a car trip is far more limited.
There's a point at which more and more drivers will find themselves fighting over the same group of riders — something we see already with 72% of pick-ups made by high-growth companies like Uber taking place in the heavily congested Manhattan core.
While we see real benefits to drivers able to supplement their income and work with greater flexibility, we still need basic standards that ensure people who work hard in this sector can earn a decent living.
Protect riders. Riders deserve honest rates and security against surge-pricing schemes that look an awful lot like price-gouging. And Uber shouldn't get immunity if one of its drivers attacks or injures a customer.
Improve accessibility. We need to end discrimination in our transportation system. Because of hard work, half of all yellow taxis will become wheelchair accessible by 2020. But there are now nearly five times as many for-hire cars than yellow taxis on our streets — and next to no compliance with the requirement that they provide accessible service to people with disabilities. We need more accessibility among for-hire vehicles.
Invest in public transit. For-hire trips by Uber and other companies should contribute to the MTA, just like every taxi trip currently gives 50 cents to keep our transit running. The MTA is facing a capital shortfall of more than $15 billion over the coming five years, and the millions of riders who depend on our subways and buses see that deficit in delays and overcrowding.
We need everyone, Uber included, to pay a fair share so we can invest in the subways and buses that millions of New Yorkers rely upon every day.
Promote low-carbon transportation. The city is focused on making our transportation more sustainable by improving access to ride-sharing, investing in low-carbon and multi-modal options like walking and biking, and reducing dependency on private fossil fuel vehicles.
Keep our transportation system moving. More than 2,000 new for-hire vehicles are being added to our streets every month, overwhelming the most congested parts of Manhattan, and traffic is getting worse. Last year was the slowest year on record for the streets of the Manhattan — barely 8.5 mph on average, and preliminary data from this May shows speeds dropping further to under 8 mph.
We need to find a way to manage the huge increase in new vehicles to keep our streets moving, protect air quality and make sure our buses and other vehicles can also get around.
Uber is welcome in New York City. Passengers deserve more and better service — and new companies like Uber are helping provide it. There are and will continue to be more for-hire cars and drivers on our roads than at any time in our history.
But no company's multi-billion-dollar political war chest gives it a blank check to skirt vital protections and oversight for New Yorkers. We wouldn't let ExxonMobil or Wal-Mart or any other corporate giant operate in New York City without basic rules in place to protect the public. And no number of lobbyists or ad campaigns will change that.