Q&A
Impact of commuter van services on the taxi and for-hire vehicle industry
0:52:17
·
108 sec
Council Member Brooks-Powers asks Bhairavi Desai about the impact of commuter vans on the taxi and for-hire vehicle industry. Desai explains the various ways commuter vans affect their business, particularly in outer boroughs.
- Desai notes that many Uber and Lyft drivers work in outer boroughs where commuter vans operate
- She mentions concerns about potential poaching of ridership
- Desai highlights issues of increased traffic and mobility challenges
- She reports that this summer has been one of the slowest for drivers in the last 30 years
- Desai expresses concern about oversaturation in the market, with drivers struggling to find enough work
- She emphasizes that adding more vehicles to the market could further impact the struggling taxi and for-hire vehicle industry
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
0:52:17
I miss Desai.
0:52:19
I I know that the commuter vans are are largely relied on in parts of Queens and and Brooklyn.
0:52:26
Not necessarily where a lot of I think your members may be located, but is there an impact on your industry as well?
0:52:34
And if so, what is that?
Bhairavi Desai
0:52:36
Yes.
0:52:36
Absolutely.
0:52:38
I mean, in terms of the other boroughs, because many of our members particularly that drive for Uber and Lyft, A lot of their work is in the outer boroughs.
0:52:47
And so, you know, one in terms of the impact of potential ridership being poached is one issue, but the second is even in terms of just traffic and people having a harder time moving around.
0:53:01
I mean, with with the yellow cab sector, you know, 96th Street and below, I I mean, you don't have this concept of commuter vans.
0:53:12
But I can tell you overall whether you're driving Uber, Lyft, or even Livery, or yellow cab, or green cab.
0:53:20
This has been, like, one of the slowest summers in the last 30 years that that drivers have had.
0:53:27
There are already too many, you know, taxi and FHE cars in the streets.
0:53:33
Drivers are really struggling to put trips together, and most drivers are spending their time empty.
0:53:41
And there there just isn't enough work for, you know, new cars to continually to be added in the same market.
0:53:50
And so we we have tremendous concern over the over the impact of this.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
0:53:58
I'm gonna yield and allow my colleagues to ask any questions.
0:54:03
We'll start with council member, Krishna.