Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile
    • Blogs
    • Upfront

    Cabby’s Pal: Uber-Inspired Taxi Apps Being Considered in NYC, Chicago

    By
    Todd R. Weiss
    -
    December 15, 2014
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      smartphone apps for hailing taxis

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      The next traditional taxicab you hail in Chicago or New York City could be summoned through an Uber-like smartphone app, rather than by standing on a cold curb, whistling or shaking your arm furiously.

      Officials in both cities have proposed smartphone apps to hail traditional taxicabs as one way to help cabbies and cab companies level the playing field when it comes to customers who want to find a ride by using an app on their mobile devices. Since the rise of ride-sharing services like Uber, Lyft and others, passengers have been using mobile devices more often to summon personal drivers, mostly at the expense of taxi companies that have been prevented from offering such tools by regulations written long before smartphones were ever invented.

      These apps are dear to my heart. Back in college, I drove the streets of Madison, Wis., nightly, piloting a sleek, shiny traditional taxicab for Union Cab of Madison for four years. I competed against drivers of other companies for fares, but we all faced the same rules and regulations, keeping the system fair.

      In New York City, Councilman Benjamin Kallos introduced an “e-hail” bill on Dec. 8 that would allow taxicab passengers to use a mobile app to electronically summon one of the city’s 20,000 yellow cabs that traverse the city’s streets, as well as additional green taxis that serve northern Manhattan, according to Sarah Anders, a Kallos spokeswoman. The proposal, which still has quite a road to travel before ever being finalized into law, has “generated a lot of interest from New Yorkers,” said Anders.

      Kallos’ proposal came because “he wanted New Yorkers to have the opportunity to pick up yellow and green cabs on their phones conveniently,” said Anders. “They know the fares [they’ll be charged] in advance, and they trust yellow and green cabs. The future of e-hailing is inevitable, and we think this fits very well into that idea. We’re very optimistic.”

      In Chicago, the city council just approved a similar taxi app, as well as several related measures aimed at helping traditional taxi companies get chances to get the business of customers who are seeking rides in newfangled ways, according to a Dec. 10 Reuters report.

      The taxi apps are gaining support as traditional cab companies seek to find ways to stay in business as unregulated, nontraditional operations like Uber and Lyft work to capture their turf. Because they are not regulated like traditional taxi companies, such services can charge higher rates when the market will bear them, including when the weather is foul, and drivers are not licensed as taxi drivers, complain critics. That’s not good for passengers.

      This battle will continue, but hopefully, these apps can help drivers of traditional taxis who are being undercut by ride-sharing drivers who don’t have to conform to the same laws and rules that regulate regular taxis. That distinction is just not fair.

      Todd R. Weiss
      As a technology journalist covering enterprise IT for more than 15 years, I joined eWEEK.com in September 2014 as the site's senior writer covering all things mobile. I write about smartphones, tablets, laptops, assorted mobile gadgets and services,mobile carriers and much more. I formerly was a staff writer for Computerworld.com from 2000 to 2008 and previously wrote for daily newspapers in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm an avid traveler, motorcyclist, technology lover, cook, reader, tinkerer and mechanic. I drove a yellow taxicab in college and collect toy taxis and taxi business cards from around the world.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      10 Best AI 3D Generators 2023

      Aminu Abdullahi - November 17, 2023 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for creating 3D models and animations. Discover the 10 best AI 3D Generators for 2023 and explore their features.
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×