City Seeks to Limit New For-Hire Cars

Last Tuesday, New York City officials introduced a proposal to limit the number of new for-hire vehicles like the ones employed by Uber. Uber had previously announced its goal to add 10,000 new drivers for the city by the end of this year. The new proposal, however, will limit the amount of drivers that companies like Uber can add to the streets. One reason behind the proposal is the assumption that the 25,000+ vehicles that Uber has already added to the streets of Manhattan since 2011 have caused a rise and worsening in the traffic congestion of the area. The proposal is backed by a study examining the affected traffic, noise, air quality, and public health of NYC. The study is currently undertaken by the Taxi and Limousine Commission which regulates the taxi and car service industry of New York City. Uber has opposed the proposal claiming that the legislation would “stifle innovation”.

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