Thousands of workers from the New York Taxi Workers' Alliance have started their two-day strike this morning. These drivers, who represent about 7,000 of the 44,000 drivers total (there are 13,000 cabs), are striking over unhappiness with the city's plan to install new, some say unproven and useless technology in cabs.
While it's unclear how many drivers are actually going on strike, the AP reports that there were noticeably longer waits for cabs at airports and places like the Port Authority and Penn Station. However, one commuter told amNew York, "It's long like this when there's rain out, it's OK. It's not that bad." Still, some are upset. One man told NY1, "It’s important for me to get up to the hospital because my wife just got surgery yesterday. It’s a mode of transportation in this city to quickly get by her side and it’s disappointing.”
The city has created an emergency "group ride" taxi plan, which allows taxi drivers to pick up more than fare at a time (see a PDF from the Taxi and Limousine Commission), but will call if it off if there are no noticeable shortages.
Taxi riders, driver, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike, have you noticed any changes?
Photograph by niznoz on Flickr
