Buffalo Is the Largest City in the United States Without Uber

Buffalo is now (really, still) the largest city in America without the ride sharing program Uber.

I took a taxi from downtown to my house in Lancaster, and it cost nearly 40 bucks. If Uber were to drive that SAME route, it may cost $20 or less. But why not?

According to the Buffalo News:

These opponents say it would threaten the taxicab industry, costing at least 1,330 jobs in the Buffalo area alone, especially among support personnel such as dispatchers and mechanics. Opponents also say it would limit transportation options for the disabled. And they claim Uber would rely unfairly on independent-contractor drivers not subject to workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits and payroll withholdings.

Keep in mind that New York City is allowed to have Uber but not the rest of the state.

There's also, the insurance issue:

The Senate bill includes required minimums of $50,000 for death and bodily injury per person and $100,000 per incident whenever the driver has his app on and is available to transport customers, and $1 million whenever a customer is in the car. The Assembly bill sets higher minimums: $100,000/$300,000 when the app is on and $1.5 million if a customer is in the vehicle.

Lets keep in mind, 48 other states in America have figured it out already. New York officials say it's a coin flip on whether or not a decision will come out before the end of the political term.