Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEW YORK (AP) — Some New York City taxis may lose the TV screens that riders love to hate.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission approved a one-year pilot program on Thursday to test new meter and payment systems in up to 1,000 taxis.
The devices will include GPS-based meters that may be less expensive to operate than a traditional taxi meter.
Officials with the commission say the new systems may not include backseat TV screens.
The screens have been in taxis since 2008. They show commercials and brief clips of TV shows. They also display fares and allow riders to swipe their credit cards to pay.
Surveys show that many passengers find the TVs annoying.
The move was announced as the 13,500 yellow taxis on the streets face increasing competition from ride-hailing apps like Uber.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
