Re:Taxi industry lawsuit against Uber transferred from state...
by mjn on Thursday April 04, 2013 @02:26PM
(#5494318)
> Nope, the medallion systems exist to block new competition.
That might be why they persist, but the main historical reasons that led to the introduction of tax licenses were: 1) to ensure a certain level of scrupulousness and geographical competence among drivers; 2) to reduce safety incidents caused by poorly maintained vehicles (initially carriages, later automobiles); and 3) to reduce taxis' contribution to traffic congestion by limiting their absolute numbers.
The British Parliament introduced the first such system in the 17th century, responding to concerns expressed by Londoners that thousands of "hackney hell carts", driven by unscrupulous fellows and poorly maintained, were overrunning the city.
Of course, there are now alternate approaches, so maybe the idea should be modified. Vehicle safety is today taken care of separately by mandatory vehicle inspections for all roadworthy vehicles. Congestion could be dealt with through market forces by charging tolls to drive in the busiest areas during peak times, as London has already started doing.
That might be why they persist, but the main historical reasons that led to the introduction of tax licenses were: 1) to ensure a certain level of scrupulousness and geographical competence among drivers; 2) to reduce safety incidents caused by poorly maintained vehicles (initially carriages, later automobiles); and 3) to reduce taxis' contribution to traffic congestion by limiting their absolute numbers.
The British Parliament introduced the first such system in the 17th century, responding to concerns expressed by Londoners that thousands of "hackney hell carts", driven by unscrupulous fellows and poorly maintained, were overrunning the city.
Of course, there are now alternate approaches, so maybe the idea should be modified. Vehicle safety is today taken care of separately by mandatory vehicle inspections for all roadworthy vehicles. Congestion could be dealt with through market forces by charging tolls to drive in the busiest areas during peak times, as London has already started doing.