Taxi Companies Sue For Protection From Ridesharing

Real-time ridesharing is a service that arranges one time shared rides on very short notice with non-commercial vehicles. It is a technologically driven alternative to hailing a taxi cab, by using GPS and smartphone apps to arrange rides, as well as using social media to establish trust and accountability between drivers. Many people like this idea due to its effectiveness and the fact that it can benefit the environment by limiting the volume of car traffic, and reducing congestion on the road. However, there are opponents to ridesharing, and they originate overwhelmingly from taxi companies and public transit operators. Ridesharing companies have already danced with the legality of this issue in Los Angeles, but now the city of Chicago is preparing engage in the same, as the taxi industry has gone to courts to protect their monopoly.