Uber growth unhampered in surprise deal with NYC

De Blasio called Uber a large corporation “looking out for its bottom line” without considering the consequences of its growth on the city’s congestion and pollution levels. Uber, meanwhile, has said it will voluntarily restrain its rapid growth in New York City, without providing much detail on how.

New York’s City Council is expected to vote on the bill limiting the growth of Uber and other for-hire vehicle services to 1 per cent in order for the city to study traffic and air quality.

Both sides spun the agreement as a chance to work together, with Uber sharing more data about its operations so that the city and the company can find solutions to grievances attributed to the new business model: Increased traffic congestion, complaints about treatment of drivers, and access for disabled passengers.

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration announced Wednesday that Uber agreed to a four-month study on the impact of the cars on traffic and the environment. As context, there are roughly 13,500 yellow taxis on the road in the city – a capped number – and 63,000 for-hire vehicles, reported by the TLC.

Uber’s expansion in New York, as in many other cities, has been a contentious one. This is great news for all New Yorkers, including Uber riders and drivers. As part of the agreement, Uber will provide data for the study.

Uber pulled rank on deBlasio through New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who called Uber an unbelievable innovator and sidestepped the mayor to speak directly with the city council.

Cuomo was joined in his opposition by a smattering of celebrity supporters, with Kate Upton, Neil Patrick Harris, and Ashton Kutcher all decrying the mayor’s proposal on Twitter.

De Blasio had said curbing Uber was necessary for environmental issues.

Mayor Bill de Blasio decides not to cap Uber vehicles, for now.

New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission says there are now about 63,000 “for-hire vehicles” in the city, including livery cars, black cars and luxury limousines.

Uber will share information for the study “above and beyond what has previously been provided, with safeguards to protect privacy”, Shorris said.

Uber even launched a fightback against De Blasio with a slickly produced TV advert and a feature on their app which claimed that the availability of cars would slow if the cap had passed.

Yellow taxis make 90 percent of their trips in Manhattan, as said by city officials.

Earlier today, Transportation Committee Chair Ydanis Rodriguez told reporters that the Council had the necessary number of votes to pass the cap.