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New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

nytimes.com

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Re: New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

#11

Post by forapurpose »

derekp7 wrote: post #8
forapurpose wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The only option was Uber/Lyft New Yorkers have relied on cabs for generations before Uber and Lyft. > Removing Uber/Lyft is a bad idea They aren't removing them, just regulating the number of cars, of which there is an oversupply: the number of for-hire vehicles in the city has surged, rising to more than 100,000 vehicles, from about 63,000 in 2015, according to the city.

Isn't that a good thing? Supply goes up due to demand at a specific price point. So either the supply is increasing to meet demand (which is good), or the price is falling so more quantity is demanded (which is also good).

Hi - see my comment here, to save redundancy.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17626412

Re: New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

#12

Post by bluedevil2k »

CoolGuySteve wrote: post #5

Before becoming mayor, de Blasio lived here in Park Slope. I guess he never used these yellow cabs he’s so interested in preserving because getting one to go to Brooklyn from Manhattan is fucking impossible. Seriously, everything about yellow cab service is worse. Why don’t they buy back the medallions instead?

Why should the city buy them back? They sold the assets, they have no obligation to re-purchase them. Investment risk is in the hands of those people (usually companies) who purchase them. Besides, at what price would they even buy them back at? They're certainly not worth the price that some people pay for them (last I checked, about $1M each).

Re: New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

#13

Post by forapurpose »

logicchains wrote: post #7
forapurpose wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The only option was Uber/Lyft New Yorkers have relied on cabs for generations before Uber and Lyft. > Removing Uber/Lyft is a bad idea They aren't removing them, just regulating the number of cars, of which there is an oversupply: the number of for-hire vehicles in the city has surged, rising to more than 100,000 vehicles, from about 63,000 in 2015, according to the city.

An oversupply according to whom, the taxi drivers? Given how much eager so many riders were to pick them over cabs, they were obviously supplying something that was missing.

> An oversupply according to whom

The article raised several negative consequences due to oversupply, which are generally well known. How should we address them?

Re: New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

#14

Post by tashoecraft »

CoolGuySteve wrote: post #5

Before becoming mayor, de Blasio lived here in Park Slope. I guess he never used these yellow cabs he’s so interested in preserving because getting one to go to Brooklyn from Manhattan is fucking impossible. Seriously, everything about yellow cab service is worse. Why don’t they buy back the medallions instead?

So true, my girlfriend had a driver pull his emergency brake then claim his brakes "didn't work" and she had to get out, because he didn't want to drive to Brooklyn. I have 0 sympathy for yellow cabs, Uber and Lyft have raised the bar. If cabs want to compete they need to completely rethink their experience.

Re: New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

#15

Post by Daishiman »

I'm sorry but everyone here is completely ignoring the congestion arguments, which like it or not, are actually very valid, just as much as the race to the bottom and long-term unsustainably low prices.

I dislike yellow cabs as much as the next guy but street space is definitely a limited resource and not being regulated in a healthy manner.

Re: New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

#16

Post by robrenaud »

bluedevil2k wrote: post #12
CoolGuySteve wrote: post #5

Before becoming mayor, de Blasio lived here in Park Slope. I guess he never used these yellow cabs he’s so interested in preserving because getting one to go to Brooklyn from Manhattan is fucking impossible. Seriously, everything about yellow cab service is worse. Why don’t they buy back the medallions instead?

Why should the city buy them back? They sold the assets, they have no obligation to re-purchase them. Investment risk is in the hands of those people (usually companies) who purchase them. Besides, at what price would they even buy them back at? They're certainly not worth the price that some people pay for them (last I checked, about $1M each).

> Why should the city buy them back

So otherwise hopeless drivers/single medallion owners who are severely in debt don't end up committing mass suicide.

Re: New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

#17

Post by gammateam »

CoolGuySteve wrote: post #5

Before becoming mayor, de Blasio lived here in Park Slope. I guess he never used these yellow cabs he’s so interested in preserving because getting one to go to Brooklyn from Manhattan is fucking impossible. Seriously, everything about yellow cab service is worse. Why don’t they buy back the medallions instead?

How are you missing that the medallions exist and have a value at all because a former mayor and NYC council moved to cap Yellow Cabs too.

This isn't exclusively a protectionist issue. It is an anti-congestion issue.

Re: New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

#18

Post by gammateam »

robrenaud wrote: post #16
bluedevil2k wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why should the city buy them back? They sold the assets, they have no obligation to re-purchase them. Investment risk is in the hands of those people (usually companies) who purchase them. Besides, at what price would they even buy them back at? They're certainly not worth the price that some people pay for them (last I checked, about $1M each).

> Why should the city buy them back So otherwise hopeless drivers/single medallion owners who are severely in debt don't end up committing mass suicide.

the goal is to lower congestion to improve commerce, not address mental health issues.

Re: New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

#19

Post by jdlyga »

bluedevil2k wrote: post #12
CoolGuySteve wrote: post #5

Before becoming mayor, de Blasio lived here in Park Slope. I guess he never used these yellow cabs he’s so interested in preserving because getting one to go to Brooklyn from Manhattan is fucking impossible. Seriously, everything about yellow cab service is worse. Why don’t they buy back the medallions instead?

Why should the city buy them back? They sold the assets, they have no obligation to re-purchase them. Investment risk is in the hands of those people (usually companies) who purchase them. Besides, at what price would they even buy them back at? They're certainly not worth the price that some people pay for them (last I checked, about $1M each).

Because Taxi drivers depend on them to make a living and to eventually retire on. It's a big investment.

Re: New York Could Become First Major U.S. City to Cap Uber and Similar Vehicles

#20

Post by gammateam »

derekp7 wrote: post #8
forapurpose wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The only option was Uber/Lyft New Yorkers have relied on cabs for generations before Uber and Lyft. > Removing Uber/Lyft is a bad idea They aren't removing them, just regulating the number of cars, of which there is an oversupply: the number of for-hire vehicles in the city has surged, rising to more than 100,000 vehicles, from about 63,000 in 2015, according to the city.

Isn't that a good thing? Supply goes up due to demand at a specific price point. So either the supply is increasing to meet demand (which is good), or the price is falling so more quantity is demanded (which is also good).

the limitation is the capacity of the roads, which this is addressing, for New York City.
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