Image: NYC.gov

New York City just added another DC fast-charging hub, and this one is clearly aimed at the drivers who need it most.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn, and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) have opened a new public EV fast-charging station at a municipal lot in downtown Flushing, Queens (135-23 39th Avenue). It’s the first of 10 sites planned over the next year as part of a partnership between NYC DOT and NYPA.

The Flushing site has eight 360 kW fast chargers that can take an EV to 80% in around 10–15 minutes. And drivers won’t be charged extra for parking while they plug in.

The city picked this location because it has limited access to affordable charging and a high number of residents who are Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) drivers – more than a third live in Queens.

Fast-charging access is still uneven across New York City, and for professional drivers, downtime directly affects income.

NYPA, which runs the statewide EVolve NY network with about 300 fast chargers, is building out more sites at NYC DOT municipal lots. Two more Queens locations – in Bayside (214-32 41st Avenue) and Rosedale (13913 Francis Lewis Boulevard) – are expected to open in the next few weeks.

There are also now 12 chargers online at LaGuardia Airport specifically for rideshare drivers.

All told, the plan is to bring 66 EVolve NY fast chargers to 10 municipal parking facilities across Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

Source: Electrek

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Image: Autoweek

Curb has launched its Curb Flow platform in London, marking an expansion of the North American taxi technology provider into one of the world’s biggest regulated cab markets.

The company said the system aggregates ride requests from multiple demand channels into a single driver platform, with the aim of helping licensed black cab drivers cut idle time and pick up more metered fares during the day.

The London rollout is starting with a 0% commission model, according to the company, meaning drivers keep the full fare from trips completed through the platform. Curb said drivers will be able to choose which demand sources they accept work from and can opt in or out without penalties or acceptance quotas.

Curb said the network will include requests from its own consumer app and from third-party providers such as Uber, with the platform open to further additional partners.

The company said its booking volume has grown around fourfold since Curb Flow was rolled out in 2023 across US markets including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It added that drivers using the system in some markets have seen earnings rise by as much as 40%.

Source: TaxiPoint UK

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Tesla Expands Unsupervised ‘Robotaxi’ Area in Austin with Only a Handful of Cars

Tesla has expanded the geofence for its unsupervised “Robotaxi” service in Austin, Texas, growing the area where vehicles can operate without a safety monitor inside the car. But social media sightings indicate that only a handful of vehicles — somewhere between 4 and 8 Model Ys — are actually running without a human safety monitor. And even those still operate under remote supervision from Tesla.

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Skip the Freeway and Fly: Air Taxis Are Coming to Utah Sooner Than Expected. Here’s What We Know.

In a few years, Utahns might trade bumper-to-bumper traffic on Interstate 15 for a quick lift home through the skies. Utah officials have long pointed to the 2034 Winter Olympics as a potential debut for air taxis. But now, Utahns may be able to hail a ride in the sky much sooner than expected. As early as this summer, electric aircraft will begin flying across Utah carrying packages and medical supplies, said Paul Damron, air mobility program manager with the Utah Department of Transportation.

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Rivian Bike Spinoff Lands $1 Billion Valuation, Doordash Partnership

Also, an electric bike and transportation startup spun out of Rivian Automotive Inc., has reached a $1 billion valuation in a new funding round, and has struck a partnership with DoorDash Inc. to work on autonomous deliveries.

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Poilievre Calls for Cancellation of Multibillion-Dollar High-Speed Rail Project

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the federal government to cancel a proposed high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City. Speaking to reporters in Peterborough, Ont., on Tuesday, Poilievre called the project a “boondoggle” that would waste taxpayer dollars.

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Bell: Alberta Drivers Will Save Up To $366 Next Year on Auto Insurance — We Hope

Talk about great expectations. The Alberta government has happy news, good news, break out a bottle of the best to celebrate news. They roll out a report, an independent report. On Friday, the report proclaims starting next year good drivers in Alberta could see yearly savings of up to $366 per vehicle on auto insurance. You see, the UCP government of Premier Danielle Smith is “moving away from a court-based insurance system” to a system where they lay out the benefits Albertans will receive in the event of a collision.

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BC Ferries Route Disrupted over Generator Problem on Vessel Scuttles Sailings

Passengers on a BC Ferries sailing from Metro Vancouver to Vancouver Island had to unload from a vessel Tuesday after a "mechanical difficulty" with the ship's generator. BC Ferries says multiple sailings on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route — one of its busiest — were cancelled for the day due to the breakdown on the Spirit of Vancouver Island, starting with the 9 a.m. sailing.

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Taxi Licensing in Rome: The Verdict and the Road Ahead

Taxis in Rome, what does the future hold? The “Option 3 Committee” clarifies the issue with a statement. “In relation to the recent statements by Mobility Councillor Eugenio Patanè, also reported in the press, the Option 3 Committee finds it necessary to clearly reestablish a fundamental point: there is a ruling from the Administrative Regional Court (TAR) that has already settled the matter.”

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Edinburgh Private Hire Drivers in Protest over Roads and Bus Lanes

Private hire drivers in Edinburgh have staged a protest over alleged "unfair treatment" by the city council. Drivers claimed the condition of the capital's roads, restrictions on private hire vehicles using bus lanes and a proliferation of new drivers were making it "harder and harder" to operate.

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Madrid to Launch Driverless Taxis in 2026: How Uber's Autonomous Cars Will Work

Madrid could join other European capitals in launching driverless taxis on the road this year.

Uber announced on Wednesday that it will deploy autonomous vehicles Spanish capital before the end of 2026, in a step that marks a turning point in urban mobility. The company is already in talks with the Madrid authorities to define the regulatory and operational framework for the service. The aim is for users to be able to request a self-driving car from the app, without anyone at the wheel.

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Hong Kong Taxis Embrace New E-Payment Rules

Hong Kong’s taxis entered a new era of fare payments on Wednesday with full implementation of the Transport Department’s requirement that all drivers must offer passengers at least two electronic payment options.

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Dubai Launches Driverless Taxi Service in Major Mobility Milestone

Dubai has rolled out commercial driverless taxi services through a partnership between Dubai Taxi Company and Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, Apollo Go. The initial deployment includes 50 vehicles, with plans to expand the fleet to more than 1,000 autonomous taxis in the coming years. Passengers can book rides through the Apollo Go app, marking its first international deployment as the company expands globally.

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SANTACO Urges Government Action As Fuel Concerns Disrupt Taxi Industry

The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) has called on government to urgently intervene amid rising fuel concerns, warning that uncertainty is already affecting daily taxi operations across the country. The council says reports of fuel shortages, refuelling limits, and diesel supply issues are placing significant pressure on operators, threatening the reliability of public transport services.

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Anna Maria Julianelli

Taxi Regulatory Specialist

Sun Line Transit Agency

Picture this: It’s midnight in a city you’ve never visited before. The streets are quiet, the air is cool, and you’re standing on the curb with your suitcase. You glance around—no friends, no family, no familiar landmarks. Then—out of the darkness—a yellow light appears. A car pulls up, the driver rolls down the window, and says, “Where to?”

In that moment, you’re no longer stranded. You’re connected. That’s the magic of the taxicab—a humble vehicle that has been quietly stitching together the fabric of our cities for over a century. Taxicabs have been around for more than 100 years, long before rideshare apps, GPS, or even traffic lights in some cities.

In the late 1800’s, they were horse-drawn carriages that were known as “cabriolets” for hire. By the 1920s, the iconic yellow paint became standard and chosen because it was the most visible color from a distance, even in fog or rain.

• Fun fact: The first motorized taxi service in the U.S. started in 1907 in New York City, with gasoline-powered cars replacing horse-drawn cabs.
• Did You Know: Training to be a “cabbie” in London can take up to4years.
• Why it matters: Taxis were the original “on-demand” transportation, long before smartphones and algorithms.

Think about it—before Uber, before Lyft, before Google Maps—there was a person, a car, and a knowledge of the city streets that could rival any GPS.

A taxi isn’t just a vehicle—it’s a moving microcosm of human connection.

• From the driver’s seat: Taxi drivers have seen the city at its best and worst—rush hour chaos, late-night celebrations, early morning commutes, and even the occasional wedding party that piles in, still singing.
• From the passenger’s seat: A taxi ride can be a moment of relief after a long flight, a quiet space to gather your thoughts, or a spontaneous conversation that changes your perspective.

A driver once told me, “Every passenger is a story. My job is to get them to their next chapter.” That stuck with me—not just as a poetic line, but as a philosophy for life.

-Anna Maria Julianelli, Taxi Regulatory Specialist, SunLine Transit Agency

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