The Columbus City Council has eliminated a cap on taxi licenses, despite a seeming lack of demand.
Columbus’ licensing scheme had been in place since 2013, capping the number of taxi licenses at 530. But only 437 of those permits are currently in use.
In a recent lottery of almost 100 licenses, drivers claimed only 16.
The lack of interest prompted the city’s Vehicle for Hire Board to recommend in February removing the license limits. The board chalked up declining demand for licenses to the growth of ride hailing apps like Uber and Lyft.
