New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has shelved a plan to restrict the expansion of tech-oriented car service Uber, pending a study of the effect of such businesses on traffic.
The announcement came one day after city Comptroller Scott Stringer called for such a delay. The 51-member City Council was expected to vote on de Blasio's proposal to limit the fleet expansion of Uber and other companies to 1% annually.
"The administration, City Council and Uber have agreed to a framework that will advance the city's vital policy goals for passengers, drivers and the public," First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris said in a July 22 statement.
According to Shorris, the city will finish its study by Nov. 30. Uber, he said, will share information for the study "above and beyond" what has previously been provided, with safeguards to protect privacy. Uber has also agreed to maintain its approximate current growth rate and not flood the streets with new licenses and vehicles.
The city and transportation stakeholders, said Shorris, will also participate in a larger review of the entire taxi, for-hire-vehicle and livery industries, with a particular focus on revenue for public transit, consumer protections, driver and employee protections, and accessibility for people with disabilities.
