Why Uber Teaming up with Taxicabs Benefits New York City

For decades, taxicabs served as the staple of transportation in NYC.(Rawpixel/Public Domain)

New Yorkers ordering Ubers will also be able to choose taxicabs

New York City — As NYC mourns the loss of DJ Kay Slay, it's only right hip-hop's most iconic battle sets the stage.

Jay-Z and Nas once locked horns. "King of New York" was the prize. Yet amid the heated rivalry, Jay-Z realized something. Teaming up with his biggest rival made the most "business sense."

In 2011 when Uber arrived in the Big Apple, few would've imagined the new kid on the block would one day challenge the transportation "King of New York." Yet half a decade later, the stunning headline read: "New York’s taxi economy implodes."

Fast forward to today, and it appears Uber and yellow taxis are taking a page out of Jay-Z and Nas' playbook. After sparring for almost a decade, cabs and Uber will play for the same team.

Indeed, it's as if the Mets and Yankees joined teams — truly a stunning change of events. As the NY Times reports:

Now, the once-bitter rivals, who have battled for years for control of the city’s streets, are striking an unlikely alliance: Uber will team up with two taxi companies, Curb and CMT, to allow New Yorkers to order a yellow taxi on the Uber app.

"This is a real win for drivers – no longer do they have to worry about finding a fare during off-peak times or getting a street hail back to Manhattan when in the outer boroughs," Guy Peterson, Uber's director of business development, said. "And this is a real win for riders."

In short, given that NYC is the nation's taxi capital and Uber's recent struggles with meeting rising demands, the partnership benefits both parties and New York City too.