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A perhaps initially overlooked effect of a global pandemic that has altered the way we live and work concerns the yellow taxis and Ubers that New Yorkers have come to rely on throughout the past few decades.
As at-first thought of as temporary work-from-home setups became modus operandi and dining and cultural destinations virtually shut down for over a year, New Yorkers found less of a need to venture outside their walkable neighborhoods. In the peak of the pandemic, the mere thought of jumping into a stranger's car, a confined space, also filled citizens up with dread.
As a result, the taxi industry and ride-hailing apps either reduced or suspended their operations indefinitely.
But what now? As the city opens up again (New York state is celebrating its 70% vaccination milestone today!), the New York Times reports that there are currently around 6,000 taxis roaming the city's streets. "That represents fewer than half of the total pool of 13,500 medallions, the city-issued permits required to operate a yellow taxi," reports the paper. "Some 5,700 of those that are not working were taken out of service indefinitely by owners who put them into storage voluntarily and returned the license plates."
The shortage has clearly been noticed by city dwellers. According to our very own Twitter poll, the majority of New Yorkers (84.3% of our respondents as of press time, to be precise) find it takes a lot longer to get a cab or an Uber in New York City today than it used to.
The good news is that, at least in New York, the demand for cars for hire has actually increased since the beginning of the pandemic, in no doubt thanks to the loosening of restrictions. Although plenty of drivers are opting to stay on unemployment for now and medallion owners are still taking advantage of the temporary reprieve on their loan payments, we can't help but imagine that those willing to return to work will be met with a pretty healthy traffic of customers.
Unfortunately, as a result of drivers' wariness to get back behind the wheel, fares have increased all throughout the city—including on apps like Lyft and Uber. According to the research firm Rakuten Intelligence, ride-sharing apps now cost 40% more on average than they did a year ago. The laws of supply and demand simply work that way.
This is all to say: no, you're not going crazy. There actually are less yellow cabs and Ubers around town. But then again, after such strange months, it'll take some time for the city to get back to normal—which is why you might want to look into alternative modes of transportation.
Revel, for example, launched an e-bike rental service back in March and bicycles are still the preferred way to get around by plenty of New Yorkers. Let's not forget that 2021 is gearing up to be the unofficial summer of the roller-skate, so you might want to invest in a new pair of skates with the cash you usually set aside for your late-night Uber trips.