By Jon Brooks, KQED News Fix
Veteran San Francisco cab driver Ed Healey said he would never ever drive for Lyft, Sidecar or any of the other smartphone-driven ride-service companies operating in the city.
It doesn’t matter that many of those driving for what state regulators call “transportation network companies” (or TNCs) say they’re making better money than old-school taxi drivers. It doesn’t matter that many cab drivers have moved over to the TNCs. Healey said his decision comes down to one issue.
“I wouldn’t ever drive in one because of the insurance,” Healey said. “I wasn’t going to leave my car exposed to an accident.”
This is Part Two of our series on the risks and benefits to drivers who sign up with the networked ride-service companies like Lyft, Sidecar and UberX versus those who work for the traditional taxicab industry. Part One — Will ‘Ride Sharing’ Kill San Francisco’s Taxi Industry? — focused on tensions between the two pools of drivers and the declining income earned by taxi drivers. Part Two looks at insurance issues related to the new ride services.
Read the complete story at KQED News Fix.
