It makes no sense today, but it will make sense in 5 ~ 10 years. I bring up individual ownership of self driving cars because that is the environment in which the debate will happen, not the current one in which no self-driving cars exist. What does a "taxi" service look like when Hertz can deliver a self-driving car to my door? How is it any different from what we call a taxi today? Hence, either every self-driving car will be called a "taxi", or none of them will. Or, there needs to be a clearer differentiator between them.
Whether the current service that Uber provides is a taxi or not is irrelevant to the future debate involving cars with no drivers, unless those cars have a fare printed on the side and a light on the roof. It's likely that the taxi lobby will push for NYC to charge every car in the city a non-linear congestion fee unless you have a medallion.
It makes no sense today, but it will make sense in 5 ~ 10 years. I bring up individual ownership of self driving cars because that is the environment in which the debate will happen, not the current one in which no self-driving cars exist. What does a "taxi" service look like when Hertz can deliver a self-driving car to my door? How is it any different from what we call a taxi today? Hence, either every self-driving car will be called a "taxi", or none of them will. Or, there needs to be a clearer differentiator between them.
Whether the current service that Uber provides is a taxi or not is irrelevant to the future debate involving cars with no drivers, unless those cars have a fare printed on the side and a light on the roof. It's likely that the taxi lobby will push for NYC to charge every car in the city a non-linear congestion fee unless you have a medallion.