What the hail?! NYC riders ordering Uber may get yellow cab instead — and some are seeing red
If you call for an Uber, you shouldn’t be surprised when a yellow cab shows up — the ride-share app is apparently hoping to rely on them more to ease a reported shortage of drivers, much to the chagrin of some riders.
“Why would I want a f–king yellow cab?! If I want a yellow cab, I’d walk down to the street and hail one,” an irate Uber customer told The Post on Tuesday — after receiving an email a day earlier from the rideshare-app company reminding users that yellow cabbies may be picking them up.
“I don’t get it,” raged the customer, who requested anonymity. “You’re going to pay a peak price for a yellow cab?”
The unlikely Uber-taxi alliance is a case of foes-turned-friends. The sudden flood of ride-app car services such as Uber and Lyft over the past decade decimated the yellow tax industry and drove many medallion cab owners into bankruptcy and out of business.
Discussions of a partnership began during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Uber started dispatching taxis to any Big Apple customer requesting an UberX in August if the yellow cab is closer than an Uber-driven car.
Uber sent an e-mail blast Monday informing or reminding customers of the service. It pointed out a way to opt out of having a taxi dispatched if the customer doesn’t want one.
It shows a picture of a woman walking into the back seat of a yellow taxi.
“We are partnering with New York City taxis to improve your experience on the Uber app. When you request a ride on the Uber app, a taxi might pick you up. By including taxis, Uber rides are designed to give you faster pickups for the same price,” Uber said in the notice.
“With this experience, you’ll still be able to: See the price upfront. Pay and tip in the Uber appRide with licensed taxi drivers.”
Riders are always notified beforehand if they’re matched with a taxi, giving them the option to opt out i the account settings, Uber notes.
The Taxi and Limousine backs the Ube-Yellow Taxi partnership.
“We are excited about any proposal to more easily connect passengers with taxis and will continue to monitor this partnership between Uber and the taxi apps to ensure it complies with TLC rules,” said TLC spokesman James Parziale.
Uber is dispatching taxis through a partnership with two of the TLC’s licensed e-hail providers, Curb and Arro.
But a rep for the union representing yellow cab drivers said the partnership is Uber’s attempt to “undermine the yellow cab industry.
“It’s a trojan horse,” said Bhairavi Desai, director of the Taxi Workers Alliance. “It’s not a big boon to the drivers.”
Uber said drivers see an upfront fare and destination for the trip and can choose to accept or reject a trip request.
It’s a win/win/win, according to Uber: City taxi drivers get more access to business, the Big Apple gets fewer empty cars in the streets, and riders have access to more transportation options.
An Uber spokesman insisted the decision to dispatch yellow taxis is not because of a shortage of drivers, although reports of fewer operators have persisted.
Some workers in the food service also claim there have been issues getting drivers for Uber deliveries.
Eatery owner Sabri Dani of Dani’s Pizza in Kew Gardens, Queens, said it has not been uncommon for food-app delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash to temporarily suspend service during peak hours on the weekend because of shortage of drivers.
“They pause the service,” Dani said.
TheUber-taxi alliance precedes the upcoming MTA controversial $15 congestion toll for motorists to enter the Midtown business district south of 60th Street.
The plan currently will charge for-profit ride-app services including Uber $2.50 per trip into the zone, while yellow taxis would pay $1.25 per trip.
The costs will be passed along to customers as a surcharge.
Desai of the Taxi Workers Alliance said Uber is angling for a better deal on congestion pricing thanks to its partnership with yellow taxis.
