City Comptroller Scott Stringer asked the New York City Council to delay its vote on restricting the number of cars that tech-driven ride service Uber can put on the streets.
"It makes no sense to arbitrarily cap Uber and other for-hire vehicle companies before we study the impact of congestion on the streets of New York," Stringer said at a July 21 news conference.
"We need to make sure that our transportation system works for everyone, including the city's traditional yellow cabs, for-hire drivers, and most importantly the riding public. We need to think strategically about building out our transportation networks in a way that makes long-term sense for all New Yorkers."
The City Council may hold a vote on the restrictions by the end of the week.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, at the behest of the city's roughly 14,000 yellow taxi drivers, wants to limit the expansion of Uber and similar companies to about 200 new cars on the road. Uber hopes to add as many as 10,000 vehicles.
The taxi drivers say the growth of Uber has driven down the value of medallions.
"I think it's clear that as a corporation — as a multi-billion dollar corporation — Uber thinks it can dictate to government," de Blasio told reporters during his visit to the Vatican. "The people of our cities don't like the notion of those who are particularly wealthy and powerful dictating the terms."
