Overview
- The City of Boston and the Boston Police Department announced a one-year pilot Tuesday that lets licensed taxis accept ride requests from Uber and Lyft through taxi e-hail partners Curb and ARRO.
- App-originated taxi trips will use the rideshare apps' upfront prices rather than Boston's regulated taxi meter fares, while street-hails and taxi-specific app trips will keep meter pricing.
- The pilot excludes trips to and from Boston Logan International Airport and gives the Hackney Division authority to set additional exclusions for special events.
- City officials say they will track changes in taxi demand, driver earnings and passenger feedback during the yearlong trial, and taxi advocates and technology partners have welcomed the change.
- Reactions from drivers are mixed: some taxi drivers expect higher daily revenue and more trip access, some rideshare drivers see better availability at peak times, and livery operators worry about new competition; similar referral programs operate in New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.