I’m right about halfway through the podcast and I’m stunned that a crucial element of the FHV vs Yellow Taxi argument is being woefully overlooked. Yellow Taxi basically competes with FHV in Manhattan below 110th on the West Side and 96th Street on the East side. Hellllllloooooo!! There is all of upper Manhattan above those aforementioned streets and four other entire boroughs. As an Uber/Lyft owner-operator I rarely go into the geographic yellow taxi area of Manhattan and when I do, I can’t wait to get out. As I’ve written before in this forum, Uber and Lyft’s rates (partially supported by City regulations) don’t bode well for Manhattan traffic. I am much better off economically to drive in less congested outer boroughs (I include upper Manhattan as well) where my miles per hour will be higher. The higher your average miles per hour in Uber/Lyft, the more one earns in revenue per hour. Yellow taxis are perfectly content stuck in traffic because their two-tier rates take mind numbing traffic into consideration whereas Uber and Lyft’s one-tier rates do not. Perhaps in the past this was not the case when there used to be surge in multiples but ever since surge went to flat dollars the math still doesn’t work to an advantage even on a busy Saturday night. You’re still much better off in the outer boroughs as an Uber/Lyft basic driver. I can’t speak to Black or Large or SUV.
In my opinion, to say that you need to exhaust having as many yellow taxis back on the road before you can even think to expand FHV is asinine. All you would be doing is concentrating those yellow cabs into Manhattan and the outer boroughs would suffer if there was a need for more FHVs. These discussions about expansion (or reduction) of yellow taxi and FHV need to be mutually exclusive always.
And I’m writing this as a person assuming each taxi and FHV driver is reasonable and seeks to maximize his revenue. As a former yellow taxi driver, if I was sent anywhere out of Manhattan except for JFK or LGA, I turned the meter off after I dropped off my passenger and hightailed it back to Manhattan. Why would I stay in an outer borough? Yes, theoretically, it’s a warm and cozy idea that the yellow taxis is to serve all five boros but the reality is you make your nut in Manhattan. That is not the case with FHV at all and that’s why the two systems can co-exist and coexist well peacefully.
FHV has been good for New York City. Us Uber/Lyft drivers have filled in hundreds of pockets of areas in NYC that had a dearth of alternative and reasonably affordable modes of private and semi-private transportation that didn’t exist before and was absolutely not taken care of by the yellow taxi industry. Not even the green cabs could do what Uber and Lyft has done. I’m in Far Rockaway often and if you talk to the people there they will tell you there is still a problem sometimes trying to get a ride in that community. Personally, I’m happy to serve that community and still have a very good business from my service.
Enough with the Yellow taxi vs FHV’s Uber/Lyft discourse. Each serves their own purpose with little overlap. It’s like talking about if a featherweight can fight a heavyweight. It doesn’t make sense and that’s why there are separate divisions.
I don’t see the number so inflated as it affects my business. I am modestly to real busy in almost any part of the City. If we had these supposed inflated numbers in FHVs, this would not be the case. I’m only writing anecdotally, but the number of FHVs now seems about right. I’m not saying it’s perfect but this talk of inflated numbers at this point in time doesn’t match with the reality of driving. And I’m giving this information as someone who tracks hourly earnings on a spreadsheet on a practically per ride basis. My per hour earnings are consistent month to month and this evidence is empirical. Now, when I drive in Manhattan below 110th Street on the West Side and 96th Street on the East Side I can expect a 20-40% reduction in revenue on an average per hour basis. So, again, what business do I have in Manhattan trying to compete with a yellow taxi? I’d rather be in the outer boros making more money.
Wow! Abe & Carolyn! Can't wait to hear more from them! Thank you!
I’m right about halfway through the podcast and I’m stunned that a crucial element of the FHV vs Yellow Taxi argument is being woefully overlooked. Yellow Taxi basically competes with FHV in Manhattan below 110th on the West Side and 96th Street on the East side. Hellllllloooooo!! There is all of upper Manhattan above those aforementioned streets and four other entire boroughs. As an Uber/Lyft owner-operator I rarely go into the geographic yellow taxi area of Manhattan and when I do, I can’t wait to get out. As I’ve written before in this forum, Uber and Lyft’s rates (partially supported by City regulations) don’t bode well for Manhattan traffic. I am much better off economically to drive in less congested outer boroughs (I include upper Manhattan as well) where my miles per hour will be higher. The higher your average miles per hour in Uber/Lyft, the more one earns in revenue per hour. Yellow taxis are perfectly content stuck in traffic because their two-tier rates take mind numbing traffic into consideration whereas Uber and Lyft’s one-tier rates do not. Perhaps in the past this was not the case when there used to be surge in multiples but ever since surge went to flat dollars the math still doesn’t work to an advantage even on a busy Saturday night. You’re still much better off in the outer boroughs as an Uber/Lyft basic driver. I can’t speak to Black or Large or SUV.
In my opinion, to say that you need to exhaust having as many yellow taxis back on the road before you can even think to expand FHV is asinine. All you would be doing is concentrating those yellow cabs into Manhattan and the outer boroughs would suffer if there was a need for more FHVs. These discussions about expansion (or reduction) of yellow taxi and FHV need to be mutually exclusive always.
And I’m writing this as a person assuming each taxi and FHV driver is reasonable and seeks to maximize his revenue. As a former yellow taxi driver, if I was sent anywhere out of Manhattan except for JFK or LGA, I turned the meter off after I dropped off my passenger and hightailed it back to Manhattan. Why would I stay in an outer borough? Yes, theoretically, it’s a warm and cozy idea that the yellow taxis is to serve all five boros but the reality is you make your nut in Manhattan. That is not the case with FHV at all and that’s why the two systems can co-exist and coexist well peacefully.
FHV has been good for New York City. Us Uber/Lyft drivers have filled in hundreds of pockets of areas in NYC that had a dearth of alternative and reasonably affordable modes of private and semi-private transportation that didn’t exist before and was absolutely not taken care of by the yellow taxi industry. Not even the green cabs could do what Uber and Lyft has done. I’m in Far Rockaway often and if you talk to the people there they will tell you there is still a problem sometimes trying to get a ride in that community. Personally, I’m happy to serve that community and still have a very good business from my service.
Enough with the Yellow taxi vs FHV’s Uber/Lyft discourse. Each serves their own purpose with little overlap. It’s like talking about if a featherweight can fight a heavyweight. It doesn’t make sense and that’s why there are separate divisions.
I don’t see the number so inflated as it affects my business. I am modestly to real busy in almost any part of the City. If we had these supposed inflated numbers in FHVs, this would not be the case. I’m only writing anecdotally, but the number of FHVs now seems about right. I’m not saying it’s perfect but this talk of inflated numbers at this point in time doesn’t match with the reality of driving. And I’m giving this information as someone who tracks hourly earnings on a spreadsheet on a practically per ride basis. My per hour earnings are consistent month to month and this evidence is empirical. Now, when I drive in Manhattan below 110th Street on the West Side and 96th Street on the East Side I can expect a 20-40% reduction in revenue on an average per hour basis. So, again, what business do I have in Manhattan trying to compete with a yellow taxi? I’d rather be in the outer boros making more money.