By Serena Solomon
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — New Yorkers will be able to share cabs with strangers this week, and while many Manhattanites are hailing the idea, some taxi drivers fear it will hurt their bottom line.
DNAinfo hopped in a cab Monday and took one of the proposed taxi-share routes from 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue down Park Avenue to Grand Central Terminal. The meter clocked in at $10.60 for the trip. With a group ride, passengers would pay a $4 flat fee if three or more of them shared a ride.
But will Manhattanites do it?
"Absolutely," said Charles Chessler, a 48-year-old photographer from Washington Heights. "Oh please, there are so many other things to worry about."
In addition to the Upper West Side pick-up spot, there's one at 57th Street and Eighth Avenue near Columbus Circle and another on the Upper East Side at 72nd Street and Third Avenue. The taxis will take Park Avenue down to 42nd Street and riders can get out anywhere on the avenue.
The program will run from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekdays.
Dave, who works at the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle and declined to give his last name, said the idea of pick-up and drop-off stops sounded familiar.
"Sounds like a bus route," said Dave, who added that he'd voluntarily shared a cab ride before.
Taxi drivers, however, are lamenting the possibility of lost fares.
"One cab is doing the job of four cabs," said driver Harpreet Singh. "Three people will be out of work. No one is excited about this."
But he hoped there was a silver lining.
"People pay a little less, so I am hoping they will pay more tip," Singh said.
