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<ul class="summary-list"><li>NYC taxi drivers blocked the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday demanding debt forgiveness from the city.</li><li>The union wants a better restructuring plan for people who took out loans for taxi medallions.</li></ul>Dozens of <keyword id="11892836" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="new-york" source="Orion">New York</keyword> City taxi drivers blocked the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday demanding debt forgiveness from their taxi medallion loans.<a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/tlc/businesses/medallion-owners-and-agents.page">Taxi medallions</a> are a city license that goes on the taxi allowing drivers to pick up street hails anywhere in the boroughs. But they require fees.According the the <a href="https://www.nytwa.org/home/nytwazoomrally">New York Taxi Workers Alliance</a>, paying for a medallion outright costs an average of $100,000, but taking out a loan for one on average costs $550,000."They sold medallions they knew were over priced and 6,000 of our families are drowning in debt," a <keyword id="11902710" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="protest" source="Orion">protest</keyword>er said in a video from Friday's protest the NYTWA shared to Twitter.The NYTWA union represents 25,000 drivers. They have been protesting near City Hall for 27 straight days.<a href="https://www.nytwa.org/home/nytwazoomrally">They say</a> the loan price of the medallion disproportionately targets low-income immigrants of color, and more than 900 workers have filed for bankruptcy.Nine taxi drivers have died by <keyword id="11898483" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="suicide" source="Orion">suicide</keyword> since 2017.NYTWA says on its website that the city's <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/tlc/about/taxi-medallion-owner-relief-program.page">$65 million Taxi Medallion Owner Relief Program</a> doesn't go far enough in providing relief.The city is offering medallion loan owners a $20,000 grant to help restructure their debt and an additional $9,000 in monthly debt payment support. Mayor <keyword id="11921771" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bill-de-blasio" source="Orion">Bill de Blasio</keyword>'s office <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/629-21/first-taxi-medallion-owners-receive-700-000-debt-relief-500-million-total-relief">announced</a> late last month that three owners had restructured their loans and received $700,000 in relief, and nearly 1,000 more were in negotiations to do so by the end of the year. The union is asking for loans to be $145,000 with $800 monthly payments or to make cash settlements for no more than $145,000. And they are demanding that medallions that were foreclosed on be returned to the original owner at the new agreed terms.The mayor's office told Insider Friday, that the current city's plan " is showing exceptional results in a short period of time."

Dozens of New York City taxi drivers blocked the Brooklyn Bridge demanding medallion debt forgiveness

<keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword> and <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword>’s ambitious plans to launch their respective <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=bike+taxi">bike-taxi services</a> have come to a halt as the Karnataka government said there are no rules on how to govern them. 
 
This doesn’t mean that the bike-taxi services have been banned. They have been halted till the time the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=karnataka+government">Karnataka government</a> formulates a set of regulations under the Motor Vehicles Act on how to govern them. 
 Till now, as per the transport department officials said the <keyword id="3273948" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bike-taxi-services">bike taxi services</keyword> launched by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Welcome-UberMoto-to-Bengaluru-a-brand-new-bike-taxi-service/articleshow/51236151.cms">Uber</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Ola-hits-at-Uber-with-cheaper-bike-taxis-in-Bengaluru/articleshow/51239417.cms">Ola</a> in Bengaluru last week, remain unlawful. 
 
"Let them (Uber, Ola etc) first go before the Regional Transport Authority stating that they wish to run bike taxis. They will examine the request, and take things forward," transport commissioner Rame Gowda told ET, adding, "We cannot allow a white-board registration bike to offer taxi services. We will have to deal with many aspects including the security of users.” 
 
Uber and Ola had taken advantage of no rules listed under the bike taxi services and launched the same in the IT hub. 
 
In Karnataka, a bike is registered for personal use. If the owner of a bike wishes to use it for commercial purposes, then he or she cannot do that without first changing the vehicle to transport category. 
 
However, in Goa, there is a provision for bike taxi services and they charge a minimum fare Rs 10 and a per kilometre fare of Rs 3. 
 
Meanwhile, as per few reports, some Uber and Ola bike taxis were seized also for illegally running in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=bengaluru">Bengaluru</a>. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Newly launched bike taxi services by Uber, Ola are unlawful until new regulations formulated

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="44434" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="taxi" source="Orion">Taxi</keyword> cabs hailed through <a href="https://gocurb.com/about/">Curb</a> saw a whopping 152% increase between April and July in NYC.</li><li>Average ride prices for <keyword id="11956945" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="taxis" source="Orion">taxis</keyword> dropped in NYC, while fares for <keyword id="1042120" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uber" source="Orion">Uber</keyword> and <keyword id="11912664" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lyft" source="Orion">Lyft</keyword> have increased.</li><li>Curb vice president Jason Gross said better tech is helping taxis catch up to gig economy companies.</li></ul>New York City taxis are coming to dethrone Uber and Lyft from e-hailing dominance.Cabs hailed through <a href="https://gocurb.com/about/">Curb</a>, a mobile app hailing cabs and paying fares, saw a whopping 152% increase between April and July 2021 in NYC, and monthly average downloads off the app are up 70% this year compared to 2018, according to Curb data reviewed by Insider. The number of people booking taxis through the app is growing at a faster rate than those booking Ubers and Lyfts, according to data from <a href="https://www.superfly.com/">Superfly Insights</a>. Curb roughly doubled its user numbers between the first and second quarters of 2021, while Uber and Lyft only increased by about one-third. <div type="image" title="Curb taxi data in NYC" height="550" width="1787" msid="85669695" hostid="261"></div>Curb's recent popularity could stem from surging prices for Uber and Lyft. The average ride price for an Uber or Lyft increased to $27 from $22 between January to June of this year, according to data from Superfly.Curb, meanwhile, has seen average ride prices between January and June drop to $13.63 in 2021 from $16.46 in 2020 and $16.89 in 2019. Unlike the apps, NYC taxis are <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/tlc/passengers/taxi-fare.page">beholden to a meter</a>, which charges $2.50 plus 50 cents per half mile - and doesn't have any fancy algorithms to increase the price according to demand. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/13-ultrafast-delivery-operators-disrupting-online-grocery-2021-6">These 13 ultrafast-delivery companies have raised over $7 billion and are bringing customers their groceries in as little as 10 minutes</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-lyft-fares-price-driver-shortage-travel-ride-hailing-app-2021-6">Uber and Lyft reported rising fares</a> amid a struggle to find <keyword id="11947253" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="drivers" source="Orion">drivers</keyword>. More than half of Lyft and Uber drivers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-lyft-driver-numbers-below-pre-pandemic-levels-gridwise-chart-2021-4">stopped driving during the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, per an analysis by Insider's Tom Dotan, and the number of drivers across the country in March 2021 was 35% lower than in January 2021.Jason Gross, vice president and head of mobile at Curb, said hailing a taxi through a phone is oftentimes faster than finding one on the street. The company has implemented changes to improve its ride-hailing service and ramped up marketing for the platform over the last year, he said.Because of cabs' lower prices, Gross said the platform also benefited from its inclusion in <a href="https://transitapp.com/">Transit</a>, a New York City <keyword id="11894924" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation" source="Orion">transportation</keyword> app that compares prices between ride-hailing, taxis, and other forms of transportation. <h2><div type="image" title="smartphone app Curb shows taxis nearby" height="6411" width="3988" msid="85669698" hostid="261"></div></h2>"I feel like [gig economy companies] haven't succeeded in driving the entire industry out of business," Gross told Insider regarding the taxi industry. "A lot of people said these gig economy companies transformed the industry through the use of technology, but what they really did is they created an unrealistic market."Gross added hailing a taxi offers customers benefits they can't get from Lyft or Uber, other than slightly lower fares.Curb also allows drivers to see the amount of money they will earn from a trip upfront. Lyft does not begin calculating driver earnings until <a href="https://help.lyft.com/hc/e/articles/115013080008-How-and-when-driver-pay-is-calculated">one minute after arriving</a> at a destination, and Uber calculates earnings on a <a href="https://help.uber.com/driving-and-delivering/article/how-do-i-receive-my-earnings?nodeId=42973e65-45a8-4aaf-90d5-d3e97ab61267">weekly cycle</a>.Gross said taxi drivers have thanked Curb for allowing them to win back business from Lyft, Uber, and other competitors."In general, I feel the perception is we're a more trustworthy company to deal with because we're not rapidly changing and gamifying what they earn or don't earn from minute-to-minute or day-to-day," Gross said.

As Uber and Lyft fares surge, NYC taxis are becoming popular again

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Spanish cab driver was called to a local hospital to transport a patient, but was instead greeted with applause.</li><li>Doctors and nurses were thanking him for ferrying <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> <keyword id="6364395" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="patients">patients</keyword> to the medical center free of charge.</li><li>The man, who was given a check and his negative <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> test result, became emotional.</li><li>The country's taxi union shared a video capturing the heartwarming moment on Twitter Saturday.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>A Spanish <keyword id="51966" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Taxi-driver">taxi driver</keyword>, who has been giving coronavirus patients free rides to a local hospital, was thanked for his kindness by doctors and nurses.A video shared on Saturday on the Twitter page of #ElTaxiUnido, the country's taxi union, shows the unnamed man arriving at a hospital and being greeted by applause.He was lured there under the guise of transporting a patient, but instead received a check and the result of his COVID-19 test, which came back negative, the union wrote in Spanish on the social media post.The heartwarming clip has been viewed by more than 11 million people and shows the driver standing by the hospital's door as he realizes he's receiving a standing ovation. He becomes emotional as a member of the hospital staff hands him the two gifts amid cheers.The union wrote that the driver couldn't stop crying because of the "surprise."It's unclear when the video was filmed or where.As of Monday, <keyword id="6363645" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="spain">Spain</keyword> remains the second-hardest hit country in the world, with more than 200,o00 novel coronavirus cases and at least 20,852 deaths, based on data from <a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">Johns Hopkins University</a>. Upwards of 2.4 million people have been infected worldwide.The Professional Taxi Federation of Madrid also estimated that its employees had given free rides to at least 75,000 people going to 300 medical centers during Spain's first month under lockdown, <a href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/spanish-taxi-driver-coronavirus-patients-free-hospital-rides-surprise-020209687.html">Yahoo News reported</a>.During the pandemic, all taxis are being thoroughly sanitized after every passenger ride, the union wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/eltaxiunido/status/1251649660537769985">Twitter</a>.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spanish-taxi-driver-coronavirus-patients-hospital-standing-ovation-check-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

A Spanish taxi driver has been giving coronavirus patients free rides to a local hospital. A trending video shows him receiving a standing ovation, a check — and his own negative COVID-19 test.

<ul><li>Uber-owned taxi service, Yandex.Taxi, is going to equip its taxis with <keyword id="30939" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="facial-recognition">facial recognition</keyword> technology. </li><li>The facial recognition software will will watch for signs of fatigue and keep drivers from taking on rides if they’re exhausted. </li><li>The company is employing facial recognition to reduce the number of road accidents due to <keyword id="7962350" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tired-taxi-drivers">tired taxi drivers</keyword>. </li></ul>It’s not uncommon to hear stories of taxi drivers taking on extra shifts to make a little more money. But, it also makes them sleepy while they are behind the wheel, multiplying risks. Yandex.Taxi, the largest taxi service in Russia that merged with Uber last year, doesn’t want tired drivers behind the wheel. So it’s going to use facial recognition to keep drivers from taking on rides if they’re exhausted. The facial recognition technology is going to watch for signs of exhaustion — like blinking, yawning and slumped posture — using a total of 68 facial points, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-07/big-brother-to-force-moscow-s-sleepy-cab-drivers-to-take-breaks">Bloomberg</a>. Yandex has already tested the technology by mounting the device on a 100 cars in Moscow and has plans to expand it to several thousand cars in its fleet. Impetus on risk Accidents that involve taxis have <a href="http://ac.gov.ru/files/content/19540/taksi-avariinost-final-2311-pdf.pdf">surged by 25%</a> in Moscow last year. The Russian capital saw a total of <a href="https://rg.ru/2019/03/26/reg-cfo/v-moskve-rasskazali-o-roste-dtp-s-uchastiem-avtomobilej-taksi.html">764 car accidents</a> in 2018 resulting in a total of 23 deaths — and Russian legislators are pointing the finger that taxi companies. There’s already a draft law on the table that puts the Russian government in charge of monitoring taxi apps like Yandex and Uber to boost safety. While this may keep taxi drivers for taking on more rides using Uber and Yandex, there are still other taxi services that will allow them to be on call — like Gett, Taxi Saturn and Taxi Maxim. Lessons for India In India, the situation isn’t too different with taxis accounting for nearly 60% of the traffic on roads. In 2018, as many as 149,00 people died due to road accidents as many as 465,000 accidents were reported. On a global scale, India accounts for 11% of all global road accident deaths. Having regulations in place to curb sleepy drivers on the road could help India achieve its target of cutting road fatalities in half by 2020, as per the Brasilia declaration. “Ola, Uber and private cab drivers, in order to extra money, accept rides at night too, after putting in a hard day at work. As they are sleepy, they fail to pay attention to the road, thus causing accidents,” P Harishekaran, Additional Commissioner (Traffic) in Bengaluru told the <a href="http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2019/mar/26/overworked-drivers-make-cab-rides-a-risky-affair-in-bengaluru-1955969.html">New Indian Express</a>. Most drivers are working 18-hour shifts to reach targets and hone in on incentives offered by the companies. And, even that isn’t going too well with earnings taking a dip as more people sign up to a part of the ride hailing gig economy.

Uber-owned taxi service is going to facial recognition to keep tired drivers from taking on rides

The ban on plying of 27,000 diesel-run taxis came into effect today even as its real impact is likely to be felt only tomorrow, the first working day after the imposition of restriction. 
 
The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=supreme+court&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Supreme Court</a> yesterday refused to extend the April 30 deadline fixed for the diesel-run taxis for their conversion into <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=CNG&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">CNG</a> mode. 
 
Authorities in various locations today impounded diesel-run cabs plying on the local routes in the national capital. 
 
 
 
"Instructions have been issued to concerned authorities, including transport department, to impound diesel-run taxis plying in Delhi-NCR," said a senior government official. 
 According to <keyword id="66" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Delhi">Delhi</keyword> transport department, about 60,000 taxis are registered in the national capital and of them 27,000 are running on diesel. 
 
Around 2,000 diesel-run taxis had converted into CNG mode in the last two months. 
 
The SC order is not applicable on cabs having All India Permits but most of the diesel cabs ply on local routes. The ban will essentially bring down the availability of cabs in the capital. 
 
"As per rule, taxis having All India permit are required to cover a distance of around 200 km. Taxis having All India permits cannot ply from one point to other point inside Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad," the official said. 
 Cabs going off roads may inconvenience thousands of commuters as many <keyword id="3344947" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="diesel-taxis">diesel taxis</keyword> ferry people from Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and Ghaziabad. 
 
"We can't keep on extending the time. We are not extending it now and not going to make any exceptions. There is technology available, you convert," a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur had yesterday said while rejecting the plea that it would affect livelihood of poor drivers. 
 
The bench, also comprising Justices A K Sikri and R Banumathi, had on March 31, extended the deadline till yesterday for conversion of all diesel taxis to CNG. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Ban on diesel-run taxis comes into effect in Delhi-NCR

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image">courtesy of NYC <keyword id="44434" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="taxi">Taxi</keyword> Drivers 2014 Beefcake <keyword id="6434642" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="calendar">Calendar</keyword></div></div>Taxi drivers often get the short shrift from harried New Yorkers.
But Philip Kirkman and his fiancé Shannon McLaughlin found some drivers who still had a good sense of humor about the job, and were willing to pose for a steamy <a href="http://www.nyctaxicalendar.com/">New York City Taxi Driver 2014 Beefcake Calendar</a>.
It's very funny. 
Besides bolstering the reputation of the city's "most dedicated workforce," the duo is donating all proceeds from the $14.99 calendar to <a href="http://www.universitysettlement.org/us/">University Settlement</a>, a housing collective based in the Lower East Side that provides immigrants and low income families with housing, social and educational programs.
Here's a peek at what the calendar has to offer. Thanks to Kirkman and McLaughlin for permission to use their photos:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image">courtesy of NYC Taxi Drivers 2014 Beefcake CalendarHicham in his cab.</div></div>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image">courtesy of NYC Taxi Drivers 2014 Beefcake CalendarHicham poses in the front seat.</div></div>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image">courtesy of NYC Taxi Drivers 2014 Beefcake CalendarJose poses with a romance novel.</div></div>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image">courtesy of NYC Taxi Drivers 2014 Beefcake CalendarWaseem leans on the trunk of his cab.</div></div>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image">courtesy of NYC Taxi Drivers 2014 Beefcake CalendarDan poses behind his van cab.</div></div>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image">courtesy of NYC Taxi Drivers 2014 Beefcake CalendarDarek has some fun.</div></div>

NYC Taxi Drivers Posed For A Hysterical 'Beefcake Calendar' To Benefit Charity

In a major body blow for taxi operators, the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> on Saturday ruled that only <keyword id="6356175" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="CNG">CNG</keyword> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=taxis&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">taxis</a> will be allowed to run in Delhi and NCR from tomorrow. 
 
All radio taxis, app-based cab operators will have to switch to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=CNG&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">CNG </a>from May 1, the top court said, refusing to extend the April 30 deadline for taxis to convert into CNG. 
 
Taxi owners had pleaded before the court that there's no technology available in the market to convert a diesel car into one that uses CNG. 
 
"We gave sufficient time for private taxis to convert to CNG and we are not inclined to extend the deadline," the apex court told the operators. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

No diesel or petrol-run taxis in Delhi-NCR from tomorrow: Supreme Court

<ul><li>A TaxiBot is a semi-robotic machine controlled by a pilot which will be used at the <keyword id="47045" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-Airport">Delhi airport</keyword> to lift the planes slightly and carry them to the runway, with the engine off. </li><li><keyword id="6704588" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="dial">DIAL</keyword> officials note that during the trial runs, the cost of fuel used during the taxiing was reduced by 85%. It is also expected to decrease the noise pollution, emission of carbon dioxide, risks of jet blasts and the congestion at boarding gates. </li><li>In September, another three-month-long trial of the <keyword id="6732716" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="TaxiBots">TaxiBots</keyword> will begin. </li></ul>In order to curb air pollution and save fuel, the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/semi-robotic-taxibots-will-tow-aircraft-at-delhi-airport-cut-pollution/story-x8KnwklZofINuNA6pGXTBL.html">Delhi airport operator</a> is all set to buy TaxiBots to tow aircrafts from the parking bay to the runway, without the use of the aircraft’s engines. A TaxiBot is a semi-robotic machine controlled by a pilot that will hold the planes, stationed at the apron area, by their nose wheel and lift them slightly. The plane’s pilot will then, transport the plane from the terminal gate to the runway without switching on the aircraft’s engine before take-off to enable warm-ups and technical checks. The TaxiBot can attain a maximum speed of 23 knots. IIT Kanpur has reported that aircrafts contribute to the air pollution and the institution’s 2016 study of <keyword id="66" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi">Delhi</keyword>’s air pollution stated that at least 2% of the city’s pollution comes from aircrafts and that most of the emission from aircraft is during the LTO (landing and take-off) cycle. The electric wheels of TaxiBot are expected to decrease this pollution. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) officials note that during the certificate trials, the cost of fuel used during the taxiing was reduced by 85%. The bot will also reduce damage to the plane’s brakes. Whenever a plane applies its brakes, the nose wheel receives the entire pressure of all its weight. However, now the pressure will be on the TaxiBots, leading to lesser damage. The Delhi airport is expected to benefit in many different ways if the plan is implemented well. It will reduce the congestion at boarding gates and it will also reduce the risks of jet blasts. The air quality of the places around the airport is expected to improve as the emission of harmful gases like carbon dioxide will decrease. The noise pollution in these areas might also reduce by a significant margin. At present, the plane engines get switched on after passengers board and fuel is wasted by keeping engines on as the plane taxis to the runway. A trial of the TaxiBots will begin in September, which will last for three months ans is in association with KSU Aviation Pvt Ltd. This company will provide DIAL with the TaxiBots that have already been developed by <keyword id="621699" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Israel-Aerospace-Industries">Israel Aerospace Industries</keyword> (IAI).

Hitching a ride: TaxiBots to take aircrafts to runway with engine off

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New York's Hopscotch Air is an <keyword id="610192" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="air-taxi">air taxi</keyword> firm that seeks to offer a cost-efficient alternative to aircraft charter with piston-powered aircraft.</li><li>CEO Andrew Schmertz has been using the downturn as a way to reimagine his operation and how air taxis can be used to fill the void left by regional <keyword id="44023" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="airlines">airlines</keyword>.</li><li>New travel trends show the wealthy <keyword id="52392" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Flying">flying</keyword> more infrequently but also using the air taxis on longer routes as airlines become unreliable. </li></ul>Hopscotch Air isn't your typical airline.Andrew Schmertz started the air taxi firm in 2009 armed with a fleet of piston-powered Cirrus SR-20/22 series aircraft. The air taxi concept sought to make regional travel easier at a fraction of the cost for a private aircraft charter thanks to the cheaper economics of the aircraft compared to larger competitors. Unlike the futuristic urban air mobility concepts where flying taxis depart from skyscraper rooftops, Hopscotch Air serves all of the New York metro region's executive airports including Republic Airport on Long Island, Westchester County Airport, and Teterboro Airport. Its aircraft fly the wealthy between the big city and leisure destinations across the Northeast and beyond.The success of the operation prompted Schmertz to launch a membership division in 2019 where flyers pay $325 each month and receive special pricing and other perks. But the pandemic hasn't given Schmertz the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/private-jet-firms-buying-new-planes-hiring-pilots-during-downturn-2020-8">uptick in business from which his larger competitors have been benefiting</a>.New pandemic travel trends are seeing the wealthy head to the second homes and stay put instead of commuting back and forth on the weekends, resulting in fewer flights for Hopscotch and prompting Schmertz to reimagine air taxi travel.Here's how the pandemic is reshaping Hopscotch Air's air taxi operation. <h2>Expanding the bounds of regional travel</h2><div type="image" title="Cirrus SR-20 Hopscotch Air" height="1875" width="2500" msid="78322043" hostid="261"></div>Private aviation has benefitted from the wealthy's desire to avoid the airlines and flyers are focused more on health and safety than any other topic when booking travel, according to Schmertz. Throughout the summer, the fear of commercial flight has given his aircraft the opportunity to fly longer and more lucrative routes. The typical routes for Hopscotch Air during the summer are between New York and the Hamptons, Montauk, Cape Cod, and the Massachusetts islands while the winter might see flights between New York and Vermont. They're all short flights that are less than two hours in duration.Customers more recently, however, have been pushing the limits of the aircraft by using them for longer flights. Schmertz reported that his pilots have flown customers as far as Chicago and North Carolina, destinations over three hours away when using the Cirrus aircraft compared to around two hours on an airliner. The range of Hopscotch Air's current aircraft enable flights of up to around 800 miles, with cities like Chicago, Nashville, and Savannah at the top end of their non-stop range. Flights on a single-engine piston aircraft will take longer than an airliner but all the benefits of flying private such as using a private terminal and controlling the passenger manifest are available.The Cirrus aircraft can also access smaller airports than some private jets. Commercial airlines serve around 500 airports in the US out of the nearly 5,000 public airports while the Cirrus <keyword id="6367788" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="planes">planes</keyword>, according to Schmertz, can access "nearly all of them."<h2>Taking over for the regional airlines</h2><div type="image" title="Social Distancing on American and Delta" height="1732" width="2309" msid="78322046" hostid="261"></div>Airlines are showing symptoms of a reliability and connectivity problem as cancellations and schedule changes are becoming common when flying. With still less than <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">1 million daily travelers</a>, some flights are departing with only a handful of passengers with airlines wanting to consolidate as much as possible to prevent money losers. In a recent interview with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2020-08-13/jetblue-ceo-says-day-of-reckoning-is-near-for-airlines-video">Bloomberg</a>, JetBlue Airways' CEO Robin Hayes said flights will be evaluated only three to four days in advance before the decision is made whether or not to cancel, as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-jetblue-airways-during-the-pandemic-review-photos-details-2020-8">Business Insider found out on a recent flight to Chicago</a>, leaving some passengers wary of booking airline tickets.Route cuts are also becoming common with the major airlines leaving some US cities without air connectivity entirely. Delta Air Lines in June <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-will-stop-flying-to-11-us-cities-list-2020-6">moved to end service to 11 cities</a> across the country while American Airlines will <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-suspending-service-to-15-us-cities-full-list-2020-8">stop flying to 15 cities</a>, most of which are remote cities served by regional carriers. Hopscotch Air wants to fill in the gaps left by the regionals in what Schmertz calls "right-sizing" the market. Instead of large regional jets, Schmertz will use smaller planes commensurate with the demand such as the Cirrus SR-20/22 series and the Quest Kodiak. Airlines like Cape Air and Boutique Air currently fly to communities without much commercial traffic but the opportunity presented with the smaller aircraft used by Hopscotch can make the services more affordable while connecting the region. <h2>The future of air taxi</h2><div type="image" title="Transcend Air" height="1125" width="1500" msid="78322048" hostid="261"></div>Limiting Hopscotch's growth is its aircraft's dependence on runways, which put the Cirrus aircraft at a disadvantage when competing against helicopters that can use any of the three heliports that Manhattan has to offer. That's why Schmertz is looking towards electric vertical take-off and land or eVTOL aircraft to power the air taxis of the future. Working with Transcend Air – <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/transcend-air-vtol-airline-nyc-boston-in-36-minutes-for-2020-4">an eVTOL company looking to start flights between New York and Boston for less than $300 each way</a> – Schmertz hopes that those aircraft can help get Hopscotch closer into the metropolitan areas where it can compete with the likes of Blade and other helicopter and seaplane operators.For more traditional routes, Schmertz also hopes that the technology to power electric aircraft will enable further flights on larger aircraft, pointing to recent examples of battery-powered flight. Washington's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/magnix-all-electric-cessna-grand-caravan-takes-first-flight-2020-6">MagniX in May flew a Cessna Caravan entirely on battery power</a>, though a viable aircraft that can carry passengers long distances is still years away."We think that's where the business model is going all because we're not going to fix the two major problems – the pain points – which are the roads and the trains," Schmertz said, highlighting the US' lack of progress on fixing road and rail infrastructure.

The CEO of air taxi firm Hopscotch Air sees the pandemic as an opportunity to replace airlines as they abandon regional routes – here's how he plans to do it

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jantik/400262589/sizes/l/in/photostream/">Jan Tik via Flickr</a></div>Today on Reddit, a 26-year-old cab driver <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/19g9mi/i_am_a_26_year_old_nyc_yellow_cab_driver_ask_me/">is answering every question you could possibly think of</a>.
The driver says s/he isn't the "typical" cab driver. 
"I'm younger and I was born and raised in the USA," this person writes. "I went to prep school and four year university. I have been moonlighting, sometimes heavily, for 3 years. I'm working full time now until the end of the summer when I'm quitting for good. I work the night shift."
Here are the most interesting parts of the Q&amp;A:
Reddit user: What has been the most interesting conversation you've ever had?
Cabbie: I picked up a pimp in the upper west side around 3 am on a weekday. He paid me 60 bucks to drive him around the Bronx so he could collect money from his girls. And he told his life story. That was pretty interesting. Also I've picked up a lot of escorts and they're pretty open with me about their business.
(Another guy invited him into his house and made him a burger.)
Reddit user: Who are the most famous people who have gotten in the cab?
Cabbie: Tina Fey, Chuck and Blaire from Gossip Girl, Zach Galifianakis.
Reddit user: Do you use gps or do you have the roads memorized?
Cabbie: "GPS is actually not allowed by the <keyword id="44434" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="taxi">taxi</keyword> and limousine commission in New York. Though a lot of people still do use that. At this point I have the roads mostly memorized. But if the passenger is going somewhere I don't know which is rarely the case I either just ask them and if they don't know I just use Google Maps on my iPhone."
Reddit user: Can you tell a story about one of [your most interesting passengers]?
Cabbie: I picked up a guy in TriBeCa which is pretty far downtown. At the bottom of the island. The destination was all the way to Dyckman street which is at the top of the city. About a 40 dollar fare. As soon as I get there this guy bolts out the door. Now you can call the cops and file a report but there really is no point because they probably won't find him and you'll waste another hour waiting for the cops to come and get the report done etc. So I start heading back downtown. When I'm in Midtown which is about 25 dollars back downtown I hear this guys iPhone start to ring in the backseat. I immediately pull over and get the phone and answer it. He's like hey man I forgot my phone in the car. I said yeah and you forgot to pay the 40 bucks for the fare. He said he'd pay me as soon as I bring him his phone back. And I said its another 25 dollars to get back up there to which he said: don't be an asshole. Yes, I'm the asshole even though he ripped me off. I just hung up on him. And turned it off because he kept calling back. He eventually canceled the phone the next day.
Reddit user: What's your stance on sex in the backseat? And hooking up?
Cabbie: "I wouldn't have sex in the back of a cab. It's filthy in there. They never get cleaned...I don't really care too much. I just drive through potholes." (The rest is too crude to type here, <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/19g9mi/i_am_a_26_year_old_nyc_yellow_cab_driver_ask_me/">but it's very amusing</a>.)
<h2 class="p6"><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/19g9mi/i_am_a_26_year_old_nyc_yellow_cab_driver_ask_me/">Here's the full Q&amp;A &gt; </a></h2>
<h3>Now Watch: How To Get More Food At Chipotle For The Exact Same Price </h3>

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