Vote Clears Way for Taxi Rider Apps
By early next year, New York taxi riders could be hailing cabs with the tap of a smartphone, a sea change in the interactions between cabbies and fares that was bitterly opposed by other factions of the for-hire vehicle industry.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission voted 7-0 Thursday morning to approve a temporary new set of rules that for the first time will allow cabbies and riders to use electronic hailing apps to flag down, accept and pay for a ride. Two commissioners abstained, saying they had not had sufficient time to review the proposal.
