# can you use your own taxi as a uber car?



## futureuberman (Feb 8, 2016)

hi. i'm in grade 12 and i want to be either a taxi driver or a uber driver when i graduate this year.. my father has worked as a taxi driver for decades and he has a taxi medallion and a cab. he said i can drive it when i graduate. i have always been fascinated in taxis and uber since i was younger. the problem is i wanna do both.... i know that the uber job looks more interesting but i also like the colorful painting and design of taxis too....

so my question is if you own a taxi medallion and a taxi and want to do both jobs, can you drive the taxi as a uber driver? or do you need two seperate cars for taxi and uber?


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## caspiy257 (Aug 19, 2014)

Maybe you should think about your future education, not about that shitty job? This is not advice, just thinking out loud.


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## MaGicMiKe (Oct 20, 2015)

Here's a suggestion, sit down with your dad and compare mileage and hourly rate. I can't make a living off of uber. I use it to supplement my income, and lately I feel like I can make more money selling my car than driving. If heart is set on driving, get a CDL license, or specialized security driving. Uber used to be good money, but now that there is an Uber driver born every minute, uber can set any price they want. But that's just my opinion, you do what you want.


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## Macdiggity (Feb 7, 2016)

There is an uber taxi option in some cities, but I have no idea how that works in terms of city regulations. I'd say do the cab, not uber. Then when uber becomes sustainable (right now during winter it's not good full time with your own car) I would switch over. But the taxi is better in terms of take home pay since my guess is your dad isn't gonna be charging you for the medallion per week like most cabbies have to do. And if that's how it'll work for you then ur mileage pay will be double....at least. Also, you'll be able to pick up at airports, and get hailed down, instead of waiting for the app


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## Slon (Dec 25, 2015)

Driving is not a career you want to be entering with self driving cars on the horizon.


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## Clifford Chong (May 3, 2015)

If you want to be an Uber driver anywhere, you must be 21 years old with atleast 3 years experience.

Taxi companies require a license where you must be 21 years old to qualify for (Usually they'll make you take examinations). No license = no taxi. You might be able to apply for a commercial license as a head-start. You will need this to qualify for taxi driving and a myriad of other driving careers that you may be interested in.

Taxi driving or ridesharing regardless is a big responsibility with little pay. If you want to commit yourself to this type of treatment then more power to you.


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## Mountainsoloist (Nov 16, 2015)

Please sign up for college. Do engineering, math, physics, or business and work to figure out what you want out of your life. 

Driving for Über was fun, but there is no more money in it. You would be better off driving a taxi or limo if you want some time driving people around, but neither of those will allow you to grow over the course of your life or career. Those are good jobs to experiment with while you are in school.

I can't tell you how to live your life, but I anticipate that you will be disappointed if you commit fully to livery driving.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

You probably can't drive a taxi as an Uber. Taxis are regulated as public utilities, and the fares they charge have to be approved by the appropriate commissions. To use a licensed conveyance in an unregulated manner, I can't see it being allowed, as it is misleading to the traveling public.


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## Backdash (Jan 28, 2015)

You folks believe everything you read or just the OP?


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## BostonTaxiDriver (Nov 23, 2014)

In Boston, taxis can join Uber via UberTaxi. It's very slow, though. Not many calls for UberTaxi. 

Uber allows taxis to join in just four or give other cities.

Try cab or limo driving part,-tine, as you pursue school and full-time career employment, if possible. Don't make a career of it, most would advise, especially if renting a cab vs. owning.


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## zandor (Mar 6, 2015)

You're in Chicago, so no you don't need two cars. You can use a taxi on UberTaxi in Chicago. Taxis don't qualify for any other Uber service though, so you would only be able to drive for UberTaxi in a cab. That doesn't really help you though since Uber has messed up the cab business and you won't make a nice living on Uber alone.

You have to be 21 to drive a taxi in Chicago and Uber also has a minimum age of 21, so you have a few years to go before you can drive a cab or drive for uber. In the meantime you could get a CDL and drive some types of commercial vehicles, but you also have to be 21 to drive passengers in IL or drive commercially out of state.

Personally I think you should find something else to do. Driving for a living won't make you rich though or even upper middle class unless you start a company and get a bunch of vehicles and employees. At your age you can't be safe and comfortable making a career out of the driving business - a whole lot of money and smart people are working on driverless vehicles. Driving a CTA bus was a cushy gig - middle class wages, benefits, union protection, pension etc. but you'd get sacked before you reach retirement age. The problem is that by the time you reach retirement age 50 or so years from now buses, trucks, cabs, etc. will probably be driving themselves and you'd wind up unemployed with a primary skill that has no market value. It will probably be some time before the driverless car thing gets serious, but 50 years is a long time. Personally I hope they take over 15 years after I have my first kid (if I ever have any) or shortly before I get too old to drive. So cab driving may have been good for your dad but I would do something else.


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