I'm sorry, but this is yet another example of what happens when governments stick their paws into the economy. They interrupt the natural forces of a free market and everyone suffers for it. Nothing good ever comes out of their actions. What's worst, the laws they pass never have a sensible termination date or a built-in mechanism for sensible adaptation to changes.
The more fundamental question here is: Why does the government have the right to regulate and interfere with taxi services in this fashion? Imagine if you had to own a "medallion" to do whatever it is you do. And, imagine that the government tightly controlled these. Imagine that you have to lease medallions just to be able to work.
If you are in any tech related field your reaction is probably one of disgust. Virtually none of the innovation we have had over the last several decades would exist today. It would be nearly impossible for truly competitive forces to develop. Nothing would be the same.
Well, that's exactly what your government and, to be fair, the way some of you are voting, is doing to our country.
Do us all a favor: Stop voting as a tribe and start voting as individuals with brains. If we don't devolve out of our current path and evolve into a strong free-market, low taxes, low government, pro-business, low entitlement society you will live to see this country destroy itself from the inside out. Then what?
"Why does the government have the right to regulate and interfere with taxi services in this fashion." Because taxis couldn't exist without the roadways which is paid for by public funds. A completely unregulated system would mean we end up with a bunch of gypsy cabs could rob riders, overcharge, refuse fares and clog the roads.
Government involvement doesn't necessarily make something a bad idea. In this case the implementation obviously leaves a lot to be desired.
Overcharging and refusing fares is what we get now in the regulated system. In practice, "gypsy cabs" often serve neighborhoods where the regulated cabs don't bother to go.
Regarding "rob riders", direct robbery is still illegal - you don't need industry-based regulation to accomplish that end. But if by "rob" you really mean "cheat", the market has evolved multiple mechanisms to make fares transparent. One of these is the "zone card", where the price of the trip depends on how many zones away your destination is from your source. Where jitney traffic is legal, the zone map and price list could even be printed in a sticker on the door so you can see the expected fare before you get in.
Regarding "clog the roads", a functioning jitney system makes it much less necessary for people to own personal cars. (and as a non-car-owning manhattanite, I'd love for the roads to be "clogged" with cabs if that meant I could reliably find one to go to Brooklyn or Queens). (And again, major roads like 42nd street "clogged" with cabs is something the current system produces in spades.)
No. Government meddling in a free economy is doomed to failure.
The only protections a free economy needs with the government is protection from cartels/monopolies and from market manipulators. Also said manipulators are likely foreign nations or atleast entities. Like when the US Steel industry was destroyed for us rebuilding Japan with better steel mills than our own country's and not introducing tariffs to make Japanese steel higher cost than American.
The part you are ignoring is that the customers, the public, are not sheep. Bad services can't survive. People would not make use of them.
All you need are reasonable laws. Cabs ought to be in good shape. Serviced regularly. That sort of thing. Other than that, yes, let the market evolve without interference. Do you really think that Manhattan would end-up clogged with bad cabs from curb to curb? No. Beyond a certain population of cabs it will become unprofitable. At some point some would exit the market and do something else. Others might dive for low pricing. Yet others might choose to offer premium services and convenience and vie for those willing to pay a little more. In the end you'd have competition which is good for everyone involved.
I sometimes find it ironic that liberals think they are helping the middle class and the poor by choosing to allow government to stick its paws into everything. In reality the result is exactly the opposite: The rules and regs keep entrepreneurs without lots of money out of some markets and the entitlement programs sap any drive to grow and succeed from the less fortunate. Eliminate those and you'll promote innovation, disruption and growth in some markets that have become "feudalized" through excessive government involvement and you'll see masses of people pull themselves out of poverty by working hard, going to school and generally competing for a better standing in life.
While I find some republican ideas are overly driven by repulsive (to me) religious beliefs (for example, their approach to homosexuals) I have to say that, today, the only choice we have to pull our country out of the steep (and it is steep) nose-dive it is in is to support their candidates and push for a quick 180 across the board. The reality is that libertarian candidates are not going to gain massive traction for a long, long time. We don't have time to waste. We've already wasted enough of it.
Obama? He wasn't even qualified to run a cookie baking operation when he was elected. Rewind to four years ago and imagine posting his resume on Monster.com to shop for a job. I'd be surprised if anyone would consider hiring him to run a cookie factory.
Yet, we handed him (yes, me too) our country because he spoke well, smiled a lot and was a hip candidate. Change. And, of course, idiot Hollywood actors were in love with him. You know, the guys who make twenty million dollars to make a movie, live in ten million dollar mansions and work a few weeks a year? What the hell is wrong with us?
Here we are. Lots of us regretting what we did. And we have the scars to show for it. The guy was a joke and is a joke. If this country doesn't do a fast 180 and re-align with free enterprise and capitalism we are done.
The more fundamental question here is: Why does the government have the right to regulate and interfere with taxi services in this fashion? Imagine if you had to own a "medallion" to do whatever it is you do. And, imagine that the government tightly controlled these. Imagine that you have to lease medallions just to be able to work.
If you are in any tech related field your reaction is probably one of disgust. Virtually none of the innovation we have had over the last several decades would exist today. It would be nearly impossible for truly competitive forces to develop. Nothing would be the same.
Well, that's exactly what your government and, to be fair, the way some of you are voting, is doing to our country.
Do us all a favor: Stop voting as a tribe and start voting as individuals with brains. If we don't devolve out of our current path and evolve into a strong free-market, low taxes, low government, pro-business, low entitlement society you will live to see this country destroy itself from the inside out. Then what?
Use your brains.