Chicago cabbies and ride-hailing drivers are both struggling amid changing industry: 'I'm stuck in this'
<p>The way Bob Singh sees it, the taxi industry has drastically changed, but he and other cabbies are still playing by the old rules, struggling to stay afloat as ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft dominate the market.</p><p>“Financially, it’s devastating,” Singh, 57, said.</p><p>But in the last few years, ride-hailing drivers have hit their own speed bumps. The app-based companies control their fares and the trips available to them, take an ever-changing percentage of their pay and sometimes cut off drivers’ accounts at a moment’s notice.
Reported by 1 outlet — Chicago Sun-Times. See all sources ↓
<p>The way Bob Singh sees it, the taxi industry has drastically changed, but he and other cabbies are still playing by the old rules, struggling to stay afloat as ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft dominate the market.</p><p>“Financially, it’s devastating,” Singh, 57, said.</p><p>But in the last few years, ride-hailing drivers have hit their own speed bumps. The app-based companies control their fares and the trips available to them, take an ever-changing percentage of their pay and sometimes cut off drivers’ accounts at a moment’s notice. City and state lawmakers recently took steps to support both cabbies and ride-hailing drivers but some worry it may be too little too late.</p><p>Since the pandemic, major commuting pattern shifts have hurt both taxis and ride-hailing services. And then there’s the emerging threat <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/transportation/2026/02/25/waymo-autonomous-vehicle-robotaxi-buckner-johnson" target="_blank" ><u>of autonomous vehicles</u></a> looming over both.</p><p>Still, cab drivers have had the roughest road to navigate as the industry evolves.
Read the full report at Chicago Sun-Times ↗
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- What's the story?
- <p>The way Bob Singh sees it, the taxi industry has drastically changed, but he and other cabbies are still playing by the old rules, struggling to stay afloat as ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft dominate the market.</p><p>“Financially, it’s devastating,” Singh, 57, said.</p><p>But in the last few years, ride-hailing drivers have hit their own speed bumps. The app-based companies control their fares and the trips available to them, take an ever-changing percentage of their pay and sometimes cut off drivers’ accounts at a moment’s notice.
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- 1 outlet, average source rating 6.0/10.
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Chicago cabbies and ride-hailing drivers are both struggling amid changing industry: 'I'm stuck in this'
Sources1TypeCoverageChicago Sun-Times