By Della Hasselle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The Taxi and Limousine Commission vowed Thursday to kill cab-share stands on the Upper East Side, Upper West Side and Midtown after admitting the program wasn't working at those locations.
The TLC had tried several strategies to encourage Manhattanites to use the service, which allowed riders to share taxis to Grand Central Terminal, including balloons and coffee and muffins. But to no avail.
"We have decided that they are not successful," TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg told DNAinfo. "The commissioner said this morning that they have not been successful and they will be discontinued as group ride stands. It's only a matter of time."
The announcement was made at a TLC monthly meeting Thursday morning. The taxi-share program began back in March.
Signs were posted at East 72nd Street and Third Avenue, West 73rd Street and Columbus Avenue advertising group rides to Grand Central that cost $4 per person. The shared ride from the stand at 57th Street and Eighth Avenue cost $3 per person.
The stand at the Port Authority Bus Terminal will remain active. That stand sees 20 rides a day, TLC officials said at the meeting, the New York Post reported.
"Twenty shared rides a day? Out of the thousands of rides that come out of Port Authority?" Taxi Alliance member William Lindauer said Thursday.
Lindauer said he was skeptical of the taxi-share plan from the get-go.
"If people want to ride with strangers, they take the bus or the subway," Lindauer added.
"They don't want to share a cab just to save a few dollars. Plus, why would you want to walk so many blocks to share a cab? That's why you're taking one in the first place."
