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NYC Scrambling To Help Professional Drivers

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It seems as if driving is a very dangerous job in New York City. Not for the reasons it’s dangerous to drive anywhere else, like snow, traffic, and accidents. The Big Apple is currently facing a different crisis as the suicide rate of professional drivers skyrockets.


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While the issue doesn’t discriminate between types of drivers, those who operate traditional taxis seem to be the hardest hit. Before Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare apps arrived on the scene, drivers had to find hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not over a million, to buy a coveted taxi medallion. For many drivers, this was years of savings or a substantial loan. Now, the amount of cars on the road in NYC looking for passengers means that medallions go for as low as $200,000, ruining the once-reliable investment and leaving some owners drowning in debt.

Besides smartphone apps hurting how much medallions are worth, they are also making earning enough money difficult. According to The New York Times, Douglas Schifter was a black-car driver who complained on social media that Uber had not only filled NYC’s streets with traffic and competitors, but its easy luxury options meant that he had to work 100 hours a week just to get enough fares to make ends meet. These conditions drove him to commit suicide in front of City Hall one morning in view of commuters.

The death of driver Roy Kim is the latest in this sad line of events. The eighth professional driver to kill himself in 2018, Mr. Kim had thrown a sushi dinner when he picked up his medallion for $578,000 last year. Whereas he was celebrating in 2017, this year he worked seven days a week to earn enough to live. His friends, fellow taxi drivers that frequent the JFK Airport taxi lot, held a vigil for him in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens last month to draw attention to their industry’s plight.


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Moving forward, NYC’s government knows that it needs to do something. Recently it capped the number of ride-hail vehicles allowed on the streets to hopefully minimize traffic and lessen competition. The City Council is considering setting up driver assistance centers with financial help and mental health services. Other options on the table include assistance for medallion drivers in debt and a health fund for taxi drivers.

While technology continues to march forward, we need to make sure that those the changes affect most aren’t left feeling as if death is the only answer.

News Source: The New York Times