Pros and Cons of Taxi Sharing
Lots of people are chatting about today’s decision by the Taxi and Limousine Commission to allow and enable taxi-sharing in New York City:
“One proposal would equip up to 1,000 yellow cabs with multiple-fare meters. Another would designate several taxi stands for group-ride pickups during the morning rush period. Those cabs would charge passengers a flat fare to be dropped off anywhere along that route. The TLC says the flat-fare plan could begin by the fall. Designated sharecabs would take longer to put into effect.” - Newsday
There’s a lot to like about this idea. And a few concerns...
Pros of cab sharing
• An attractive person of the opposite sex--or same sex, if you prefer--could be your cab buddy. I’m a married family man, of course, so this doesn’t affect me in any way. I’m just always thinking of others.
• Less guilt if you bolt without paying your fare, knowing there are other passengers who probably WILL pay.
• Will be fun to get in a cab full of people, look around at everybody and ask, “So. Where are we going?”
• Group hugs every time a passenger gets in or out. These should include the driver.
• New scientific research has finally proven conclusively: the more, in fact, IS the merrier.
Cons of cab sharing
• It’s highly unlikely you’d ever find yourself sharing a ride with the blind date you left in the restaurant that one time when you said you were just going to the restroom. But it’s not impossible.
• The more people sharing the ride, the greater the odds someone had chili for lunch.
• “I need to stop off at my apartment to feed my cats. Ya’ll are cool with that, right?”
• If you think drivers get mad when a rider wants to pay with a credit card... think how crazy they'll get when four people want to. All at the same time.
• I happen to enjoy music from Bangladesh, but other riders might feel differently.
Comments: 5
The concept of taxi sharing is nothing new and has been the norm in the Caribbean for decades. Taxis there operate on specific routes, pickup passengers from designated taxi stands, and charge a flat rate. The gypsy cabs and dollar vans that are operated in Brooklyn and Queens by Caribbean expatriates run on the same principle of ride sharing for a flat fee.
If it can save the taxi fare for people with the same route, it can be a good idea
Taxi sharing is not new at least not in the other boroughs like queens and mahattan. It actually works well it's call a dollar cab but I think they charge two dollars now. The taxi travels along a route and picks up passengers along that route and the same fare applies to all.
Jim,
This sharing a cab, paying a fixed fare for a going a particular route sounds like a new idea - NOT! It is called a bus! You take a cab if you want a private ride to a particular location. Otherwise take the bus! And you don't have to tip the bus driver.
In my opinion, sharing a cab does not provide privacy, which is one of the reasons why many people commute in cab in the first place. In addition, the journey will be slow, because, the cab driver has to many multiple stops so as to drop off all the individual passengers at their destination. In other words, the journey will be longer and consumes time. People prefer to board the cab because it quickens their trip from point A to point B.