Sharing economy draws mixed reviews

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Cab drivers and traditional car service companies in Manhattan are up in arms about Uber, an app-based company that provides on-demand rides to its users.

The service is still catching on in the northwest Bronx. Most days you open the app, three to five available cars show up in Riverdale and Kingsbridge.

On a recent afternoon at the corner of West 231st Street and Broadway, a driver for one private service said he is not particularly worried about Uber cutting into his business.

“For me, everything is okay,” said Wahid Guran, adding, “The passengers, they complain about Uber because on the weekends they charge double.”

Mr. Guran, who has driven for a private cab company for 10 years, said he sees more competition from traditional car companies.

Ahmed Kamal has been driving a green taxi for three years. Through limited English, he said he’s not losing business to Uber, either. But Mr. Kamal said he had a few friends who drive for Uber — and they always talk about how great the company is. When asked if he would make the switch to Uber, Mr. Kamal said, “Maybe this winter.”

Councilman Andrew Cohen, whose 11th district covers much of the northwest Bronx, shared his support for Uber just one day after the city council postponed a vote that would have placed a cap on the company’s drivers in New York City.

“A lot of people reached out to me to tell me how much they use it,” Mr. Cohen said.

He added he is confident Uber has adequate protections for its consumers, noting that his staff sometimes use the service.

The councilman does not feel the same way about Airbnb, which lets people rent out their whole home, apartment or just a room to others in the network. Mr. Cohen called Airbnb “very unregulated and much more problematic” than Uber.

While Uber requires drivers to be licensed, there are fewer safeguards for Airbnb hosts and guests. And there is the legal issue: in New York City, it is illegal to rent out an apartment for less than 30 days. In a study published last year, the state attorney general’s office found that 72 percent of Airbnb listings in New York City are for illegal rentals.

cab drivers, Uber, app, Wahid Guran, Ahmed Kamal, Councilman Andrew Cohen, Bojana Matovski, Airbnb, Isabel Angell
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