The city of Milwaukee’s license division is continuing to accept applications from prospective taxi operators.
That comes after a judge last week refused to issue an injunction keeping a new ordinance from going into place to lift the city’s cap on taxicab permits. Opponents of that ordinance have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn it.
Proponents had claimed the previous caps had amounted to a monopoly protecting a few drivers. The new ordinance also paves the way for ride services such as Uber and Lyft to operate aboveboard in Milwaukee.
The cover story in today’s Milwaukee Business Journal makes the case that these ride services have been a game changer here – for riders and for the industry. Alison Bauter covers technology and innovation for the Milwaukee Business Journal. She spoke with Mitch Teich about how they’re intersecting on the roads.
"You see that taxi line at the Pfister for example. Talking to people over there, they're saying there used to be a pecking order - people wait in line in their cabs, they pick up a fare, they go," says Bauter. "Now you're going to see an Uber come in and pick someone up, you're going to see a Lift stop by. And all of a sudden that system is a little bit changed."
