Cambridge Taxi Drivers On Strike To Protest Uber, Lyft
CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – Taxi drivers in Cambridge went on a one-day strike Monday to protest ride-sharing services.
They picketed outside city hall and took up a lane on Massachusetts Avenue during rush hour to send a message that drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft should be subject to the same regulations as them.
Cab drivers pay thousands of dollars for taxi medallions and insurance.
They claim their business is drying up because more people are choosing to use the ride-sharing services.
Taxi drivers protest Uber outside #Cambridge City Hall #wbz. https://t.co/qQfx9zcrlf
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) August 3, 2015
"They allow people to take their private car, all day, all night and we, (with our) legitimate vehicle, we can't find no work," one driver told WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
"The amount of money I take home to my family has been eliminated," another driver told WBZ-TV.
The drivers want Cambridge lawmakers to level the playing field so they can make a living.
Uber spokesperson Taylor Bennett released this statement on the strike to WBZ-TV:
"As taxis put their own interests ahead of consumers' today, Uber will remain a safe, convenient way to get around, because both riders and drivers have made it clear that more choice and greater opportunity is important to them and their city's transportation ecosystem."
There has been no formal comment on the strike from the city or Lyft.
Taxi drivers say they realize the one-day strike means they're handing business over to Uber and Lyft, but they said it's worth it to make a point.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports