New York City eases limits on Uber’s growth

The Long Island City resident said he has been riding in taxis in New York for more than a decade and now always chooses Uber. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, was against it. Several celebrities pressured de Blasio, who has earned distrust from the New York entrepreneurial community for what some perceive as an anti-business stance and pro-regulation stance by his administration.

Under the deal, the city will not cap Uber’s growth during those four months.

De Blasio discussed the situation, referring to Uber as the “multibillion dollar corporation which is looking out for its own interests and its own profitability”. “The cap legislation now before the City Council will be tabled throughout the traffic study process”.

De Blasio’s plan was considered a blatant attempt at protectionism for the Big Apple’s taxi companies, but Uber’s many fans were not appreciative of the mayor’s crony capitalism.

The City Council is considering a bill to put expansion limits on Uber and similar services. While the cap’s supporters argued that the cap was not about Uber but about all car-service companies, including competitors like Lyft and Gett, it’s not a surprise that Uber was the only company that met with government officials to resolve the dispute.

A City Council Bill, due to be debated on Thursday, called for a cap on Uber’s growth while the study was taking place, according to the New York Times. According to the city’s Department of Transportation, the number of for-hire vehicles operating in New York City has increased 63 percent since 2011, with three-quarters of rides in these new vehicles originating in Manhattan south of 60th Street.

“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”, First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris said in a statement.

During its recent negative publicity campaign against de Blasio, Uber added a new feature to its app that let users see what the alleged wait time for an Uber auto would be if the mayor’s bill was passed. De Blasio quickly threw his weight behind it.

Uber says it is attracting 25,000 new customers each week and is having to hire hundreds of drivers just to keep up with demand.

The fight ended this week with Uber agreeing to share data with the city as it conducts four-month impact study on taxis, Uber, and other vehicle-for-hire operations. “In response, Uber rolled out a $3.2 million media blitz against the mayor”.