Reuters: Technology News: E-hail app to order yellow cabs in NYC blocked by judge

Reuters: Technology News Reuters.com is your source for breaking news, business, financial and investing news, including personal finance and stocks. Reuters is the leading global provider of news, financial information and technology solutions to the world's media, financial institutions, businesses and individuals. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

E-hail app to order yellow cabs in NYC blocked by judge Mar 8th 2013, 17:47 Tweet Share this Email Print Analysis & Opinion Transporting bras to help sex-trafficking survivors Related Topics Tech » Regulatory News » Breakingviews » A taxi passes by in front of The New York Times head office in New York, February 7, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Carlo Allegri NEW YORK | Fri Mar 8, 2013 12:47pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - A pilot program that would allow people in New York City to hail yellow cabs using a smartphone app was blocked by a judge on Thursday, handing a victory to private car companies that have said the program threatens their business. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Carol Huff granted a request from the livery companies to freeze the new "e-hail" program that had been scheduled to begin as early as Friday. The order will be in effect until at least March 18, when the two sides are due to return to court to argue the merits of a lawsuit brought by the livery companies against the city. The pilot program would allow people to use a phone application to request a yellow cab ride. Taxi drivers would be able to receive such requests and confirm pickup locations. Private car companies rely on prearranged pickups. Under New York's two-prong cab system, yellow cabs handle street hails but cannot accept phone pickups; livery cars do the opposite. The program would be an option for New Yorkers accustomed to standing in the street and flagging down the city's approximately 13,000 yellow cabs. E-hail apps like Uber and Hailo have become popular in other cities. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Cynthia Johnston) Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions