Fernando Mateo: 'Technology Has Slowly Taken Over the Taxi Industry in New York City'

The following statement was submitted today by New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers founder Fernando Mateo. The comments are in response to a recent New York Daily News report entitled "City Sets Aside Sale of Taxi Medallions as Their Value Plummets". 

"Yellow Cabs were once the symbol of NYC, you could see them in TV shows, movies like Taxi Driver with Robert Dinero today you only read about their extinction and the extinction of their drivers. Technology has slowly taken over the taxi industry in NYC and as more and more luxury cars are available to the riding public the less people will not ride yellow cabs. The only salvation for the yellow taxi industry will be lowering the prices of a ride and bringing back the old school cars that people loved so much similar to those vintage black taxis of London. Yellow cab drivers must compete in order to survive and thrive during these tough time. Lets wish for the best, yellow cabs should remain a symbol in this city we can't allow for them to disappear".