De Blasio vs Uber heats up on eve of NYC Council vote

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio has decided that for now, the city won’t cap the number of private drivers working for the Uber ride service in NYC. The eleventh-hour deal backs off, for now, placing a cap on the number of cars the ride-hailing company can have on the streets of the nation’s largest city.

The agreement contrasts with the legislation the council was set to vote on Thursday that called for a 1% cap on the California-based company’s growth within the city during a yearlong study.

The agreement that de Blasio and Uber reached will also require Uber to release data about its operations in the city, reported by the Times.

Ironically, city officials say the deal resembles the initial suggestion the mayor’s office originally proposed to Uber. “We thank the City Council for listening to our concerns about removing carpooling options, which we see as part of the solution to traffic congestion”, the company said.

Uber, which argues it brings economic opportunity and mobility to New York City, praised the agreement with city leaders.

“Today the administration, City Council and Uber have agreed to a framework that will advance the city’s vital policy goals for passengers, drivers and the public”, said Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris, in a statement. A “joke” de Blasio mode on the New York app wipes the map of any available Uber cars, representing what Uber claims will happen if the freeze were to go through.

During the study period, Uber will share information “above and beyond what has previously been provided” with the city about its customers and usage – “with safeguards to protect privacy”.

Even New York governor Andrew Cuomo weighed in with support, saying in a radio interview: “I don’t think government should be in the business of trying to restrict job growth”. Ashton Kutcher, an Uber investor, has been among the loudest critics, but others, like actor Neil Patrick Harris and supermodel Kate Upton have also weighed in.

The compromise comes after the de Blasio administration issued a warning to local businesses not to interfere in the deal and Uber launched expensive television ad campaigns, making the mayor appear loyal to the yellow taxi industry which has donated generously to him in the past.

Count yourself lucky, New York.

Uber dispatches an estimated 25,000 cars on New York’s streets, as opposed to 13,000 Yellow taxis.

Uber has become the symbol of innovation and disruption in an industry, changing the way many people travel in major cities around the world.

Though Ydanis Rodriguez, the chair of the City Council’s transportation committee, said Wednesday that supporters of the bill had the necessary votes, several prominent Democrats have expressed opposition in recent days.