City Council Considers Bill Limiting Uber, Other For-Hire Vehicles
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Uber and similar car services may hit a roadblock at City Hall.
The City Council is considering a bill that would temporarily limit the issuing of new licenses for for-hire vehicles, CBS2's Emily Smith reports.
Uber drivers and supporters rallied outside City Hall in opposition to the proposal that would prevent the service and others like it from adding more cars.
It's a plan backed by the Department of Transportation and the Taxi and Limousine Commission. If passed the bill will require TLC to conduct a year long study on how unprecedented growth of "for hire" vehicles on the road has impacted traffic.
"Between 2010 and 2014, average Manhattan speeds declined from 9.35 miles and hour to 8.51 -- a decrease of 9 percent," said Meera Joshi, Chair of NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission.
The legislation would place a 1 percent growth cap on car services for at least a year while the Taxi and Limousine Commission conducts a study on how the growth of vehicles on the road has impacted traffic, air quality and noise.
Those in favor of the bill say the fleet of cars has jumped 63 percent since 2011 -- that's 25,000 new livery cars on the roads.
That congestion could explain why vehicles are moving slower than ever, CBS2's Alex Denis reported. The average speed in Manhattan for drivers clocks in at 8.5 miles an hour. In years prior to that, on average drivers hit speeds of 9.3 miles an hour.
"Seventy-two percent of pickups is taking place in the Manhattan core the most congested area of the city," said Joshi.
Uber insists it makes up less than one percent of all traffic.
The bill -- which was originally proposed three months ago -- would only result in longer wait times, higher prices, and less reliable service for riders, according to Uber.
"It would kill 10,000 jobs, increase wait times when you request a ride, hurt service in the outer boroughs and basically end Uber as you know it," Josh Mohrer, head of Uber NYC, said.
Several dozen Uber drivers and supporters protested the bill at a noontime rally on the steps of City Hall. Many chanted "we need jobs."
City Council is expected to vote on this proposal later this month. It then goes to the mayor for signature.
Uber, the app-based car service, has become a major player in New York City in recent years, with its cars now outnumbering yellow cabs. The company has said it hopes to add another 10,000 drivers in the city this year.