If ever there was s poetic symbol of an industry’s death, it would be the fact that Uber cars now outnumber yellow cabs in the de facto capital of yellow cabs: New York City. Uber now had more than 14,000 standard and luxury cars on the streets of the Big Apple after less than four years of operating in the city. Medallion cabs, on the other hand, have somewhere around 13,600 cars on the streets.
Black is the new yellow. Uber has thrown down the gauntlet in the Big Apple taxi wars — overtaking the yellow-cab industry in total cars on the streets in less than four years of operation in New York, according to new TLC data. The company has 14,088 black and luxury cars affiliated with it operating in the five boroughs, compared to 13,587 medallion cabs, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission. Uber has been active in the city only since May 2011, but its competitive rates and higher pay have quickly lured drivers and customers away from traditional taxi service. “You can just turn on your phone and start working at any time,” said Uber driver Joel Abreu, 24, who lives in the Bronx. He said he makes about $85,000 a year after expenses driving a luxury SUV for the company — more than double the salaries of an average yellow-cab driver.
