Ride sharing services are touted as great for a passenger, and even great for anyone looking to augment their income with a flexible side job. But there’s a dark side to this market disruption. There are plenty of financial and political questions to be asked. What is the real cost to the city and its infrastructure when 20,000 taxis are augmented by additional tens of thousands of private vehicles everyday? What about lost city fee revenues, etc.
There’s also a very high human cost to be paid. Many limo and taxi drivers have been financially devastated and suffer from extreme stress and depression. This driver’s suicide raises tough question about how a gig economy affects the people providing the services. Here’s more.