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WORONCZUK: So let’s talk solutions, then. Like, what solutions would you propose that would work in the favor or the interests of consumers who really do like the technology-based and the efficient model of Uber but also protects the traditional cabbies?
PRICE: Well, it’s just like—the taxicab commission mandated a credit card system that was—that the expense was borne only by the taxicab drivers, a specialized dome on top of the taxicabs that was mandated only for taxicabs, and the drivers had to bear all the costs. A solution would be—why wouldn’t the government be innovative enough to say, look at the Uber model, and says, we want this. Instead of having a two-way radio system with a monitor and all this kind of stuff, make all drivers have smart phones and do the same thing Uber’s doing. Then you would have that efficiency, the same efficiency Uber does.
But instead, you know, Uber just decide, we’ll just skirt around the issue, because at one time they were soliciting taxicab drivers to actually be part of the Uber family, but the problem is that the companies started threatening drivers with expulsion and fines. And so, therefore, the drivers kind of, like, backed down from Uber.
So the only solution I would see is that, say, use their model, use their technology, and you make the industry better, because that’s what the people want. The people want service, and that’s what the industry should be about, service. And the government should be about saying, we demand that level of service, and if Uber has it, we want to put in all taxicabs.
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