Uber gets approved for operation in BR - Yellow Cab immediately works to improve

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Local taxi cab companies are working with the city-parish and the Downtown Development District to create designated staging areas for taxis downtown, thereby enabling them to respond more quickly to the growing number of downtown patrons. The plan would set aside as many as 10 metered parking spaces for cabs at various intersections near Third Street, where most of downtown's restaurants and nightclubs are located. "There is a lot of demand for cabs downtown but there is no parking on Third Street," says Keith Wyckoff, manager of Yellow Cab. "This will enable us to have a set place so the customers know where we are and we know where they are going to be. It's just logistics." The staging areas would be in effect at night only. The effort comes as ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft are eyeing the local market. Last week, the Metro Council approved an ordinance clearing the way for ridesharing companies to begin offering service here. Wyckoff says the downtown staging area initiative is not a response to that move, adding it has been in the works for several months. "We've been working on this since at least January," he says. "It just took a while to get all the logistical pieces in place." DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer says he supports the effort and is working with the city-parish Department of Public Works traffic engineering department to identify the best spots for the cabs. —Stephanie Riegel

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