Time warp in transportation: new technology, same arguments.
Hansom cabs battled the new taxis in the early 20th century.
And now, in the early 21st century, taxis battle the new Uber/Lyft cars.
Time warp in transportation: new technology, same arguments.
Hansom cabs battled the new taxis in the early 20th century.
And now, in the early 21st century, taxis battle the new Uber/Lyft cars.
Driving taxi in Toronto many colleagues have said wouldn’t it be great if we could just count on taking in minimum wage per hour? The industry is a dictatorship at the mercy of arrogant, unaccountable bureaucrats, most of whom have never driven a cab a day in their lives. We didn’t vote them in, we can’t vote them out. They command us, we obey them or suffer the consequences. They hired consultants to come up with a ratio of cabs per capita, then threw it out the window glutting the market with ever more taxis. Drivers are legally regarded as self-employed but enjoy none of the prerogatives normally associated with it – city hall regulates every detail of our professional lives – comparable to opening a restaurant and being told what to serve, how much to charge, what hours to open and who your suppliers are. The media portray drivers as fat cats raking in the benefits of a protected market but at least here the reality is a harrowing contrast. In an article published in our trade paper ten years ago I advocated for deregulation but the editors and most of my colleagues felt it was necessary. Uber is simply the lightening striking the rotted tree.