Uber Truce

Long ago, an app / service rolled into New York City and declared war on an institution. A scrappy startup called Uber wanted to usurp the sleepy taxi industry that was the lifeblood of New York. In only a few years, "taking an Uber" became so commonplace, it's used all the time. People don't use taxis as much. But with any war, it must end and now, Taxis will join in on Uber's giant customer base. Andrew J. Hawkins at The Verge has more.

Riders will pay the same fare for taxi rides as they would for an Uber X trip, the company said. Uber drivers in New York City are paid under a formula that uses a so-called utilization rate, which accounts for the share of time a driver spends with passengers in their vehicles compared to time spent idle and waiting for a fare. Taxi drivers who accept Uber customers will be paid under the same rate.

The Verge

When you think about it, this is a logical conclusion. Uber was under heavy scrutiny for trying to get around the taxi laws that have dictated an entire industry. The taxi drivers though were put into terrible positions wherein their medallions needed to operate their taxis tanked in value and drove many into debt. It just makes sense to give everyone what they want: taxi drivers get to access the giant pool of Uber customers and Uber doesn't have to fight constant legal battles simply to exist in NYC. It's a win-win.