NYers’ Cry to City Hall: Give Cabbies a Break
The Taxi and Limousine Commission can’t see the forest for the trees. It should stop screwing yellow-cab medallion owners with more fees (“Something for the Cabbies,” Editorial, March 29).
Uber, Lyft and other non-medallion transportation services should face more regulations and fees. Give yellow cabs a break. Alexander Beard Manhattan
Uber succeeds because people like it. Many people, including lower-income people in the outer boroughs, enjoy more affordable and convenient car service thanks to ride-share apps.
Uber has improved the lives of city residents by giving them another transportation option.
It should be remembered that Uber drivers are people, too, and their livelihoods should matter just as much as anyone else’s.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission does an admirable job of regulating all the different types of car services in the city and protecting and serving the public.
Let the free market sort out the optimal balance of Uber/Lyft cars and yellow taxis. Obviously, the city needs both, and they can indeed coexist. Ronald Meltzer Manhattan
Some suffering cabbies blame Mayor de Blasio for the four recent suicides of drivers because medallions have plummeted in value — from $1 million to not even $200,000 in just a few years. Many drivers owe huge loans that cannot be paid back.
The mayor has allowed Uber and Lyft to expand unchecked and eat away at yellow-cab income. In addition, the ride-share cars are not held to the same standards and operating fees.
This is another example of the mayor being heartless to the pain and hardship of others. Manny Martin Manhattan
Government-run taximedallion systems (one medallion per taxi) are anti-competitive and are effectively state-sanctioned cartels.
Lyft and Uber drivers are not required to purchase medallions. In order to be fair, the city should reimburse yellow-cab operators for the value of their medallions and scrap the medallion system. Dick Vale Schenectady