In New York City, Is It Cheaper to Hail a Taxi or Use a Ride-Share App? (WSJ)
“We’re about 10% cheaper than Uber or Lyft”, according to Curb. Driver reactions mixed. “All the way to East Flatbush for $11? It’s an insult to us”. Lyft has new "Wait & Save" option.
Anne Kadet of the Wall Street Journal published a piece this morning about whether it’s cheaper to to ride in a NYC Taxi or via Uber and Lyft. The article also spends time focusing on a newly rolled out upfront pricing program for ‘e-hailed’ yellow and green cabs that Curb Mobility launched.
I took a few test rides on Curb in Brooklyn and Manhattan and found reception among drivers was mixed. Nasser Alabsi, a driver from Yemen, said the upfront fares often weren’t worth taking. “All the way to East Flatbush for $11? It’s an insult to us,” he said.
Others said the upgrade has encouraged more riders to summon a cab via app in a time when few are hailing taxis. “It gets more business,” said Baber Badasha, who drove a yellow cab in Manhattan for 45 years but recently switched to driving a cab around Brooklyn.
In the end, Ms. Kadet chose Lyft as her preferred option.
So what’s the best e-hail bet for riders these days? I’d go with Lyft. I like knowing that even if the fare is low, the driver will still be earning the city’s mandated $17.22 an hour after expenses that applies only to the largest ride-share companies. This also is the case with Uber, but I found Uber’s fares are typically higher. (Curb isn’t subject to drivers’ minimum-wage requirements.)
I also like that the Lyft app provides public transportation routes, fares and schedules along with the ability to locate, unlock and rent the nearest Citi Bike from the company’s 1,000-plus station locations around the five boroughs. It can serve as a sort of all-in-one app for getting around town, a spokesperson notes.
Another unique Lyft feature—the new Wait & Save option. On a recent weekday morning, for example, the upfront fare for a trip from Brooklyn Heights to Wall Street was $18.27 with a one-minute ETA to be picked up. With Wait & Save, the fare was reduced to $17.03, with an arrival guaranteed within 15 minutes. The company says that the busier it is, the more one can expect to save.
Here is the link to the story.
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