Taxi Regulation and Policy
U.S. Taxi and Livery Issues
Should taxi regulators adopt "open entry"? What are the effects of open entry,
medallion caps and other types of entry control? What is the most effective approach?
This paper assesses these issues based on the experiences of 43 cities in the United States and
Canada. Advantages and disadvantages of regulatory approaches ranging from deregulation to
strict medallion caps are analyzed, and
seven specific implications for entry control are discussed. Published in Transport Policy. (2007)
This article discusses eight
elements that characterize well functioning taxi systems.
Cab operators and regulators can use these elements as reference points in
thinking about how to improve the regulatory system and industry structure
in their city -- and thus keep taxi issues out of the political kettle. (2005)
Twelve percent of Americans used a taxi or limousine service in the previous month.
Who are the men and occasionally women who deliver taxi and limousine services?
What are their backgrounds, how much do they work, how much do they earn?
Based on U.S. Census data, this report shows the increase in immigrant drivers and the
predominance of men (although the number of female drivers is growing) in a wide ranging
profile of taxi and limo drivers. (2004)
In cities that control the number of taxicabs by law or regulation, setting the
number of cabs is one of the most important decisions made by taxicab regulators and
elected officials. This study identifies primary factors related to demand for
taxicab service in the United States. Published in Journal of Public
Transportation, 2005.
NYC Taxi and Livery Issues
Revised in March 2006, this is the "indispensable" guide to the New York City
taxicab industry, says the Financial Times of London. Information on taxi ridership, trip purposes, fares, customer satisfaction,
service availability, industry finances, driver earnings, medallion prices,
cars, accidents, driver quality, driver background and nationality,
and history and development of the NYC taxi industry.
The cab fleet is not just 13,000 individual vehicles -- it also forms
a spatial, economic, environmental and social system. This essay, written
as part of the Design Trust for Public Space's
2005 Designing the Taxi project and exhibition, assesses the current taxi system
and proposes possible systemic changes to improve service.
New York City cabbies are less crash-prone than other drivers;
as a result, passengers are less likely to be injured as a passenger
in a taxicab or livery car than as an occupant of other vehicles. The report
presents a wide-ranging analysis of NYC crash data. (2006)
This report examines data collected over the past decade to assess the
relationship between driver earnings and motor vehicle crashes involving taxicabs.
The study finds that there appears to be a strong relationship
between taxicab crash rates and driver incomes. Higher driver incomes are associated
with lower crash rates. (2004)
This published study utilizes a unique dataset from New York City to quantify
how taxi fare increases affect trip demand and the availability of taxi service,
in the first published statistically-significant estimates of taxi fare
elasticities.
At the end of the century, the NYC taxi industry set new records for ridership,
revenue and occupancy. At the same time, service availability neared
its lowest point in at least a decade. This report summarizes comprehensive
data on taxi ridership, availability and industry finances.
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