New York City 's storied yellow cabs are taking a back seat to black cars . Uber cars , often black sedans that can be summoned with smartphone apps , now outnumber the yellow taxis that city riders have hailed with a whistle and a wave for generations . It was a changing-of-the-guard moment that passed with little fanfare this week in figures released by the city 's Taxi and Limousine Commission : 14,088 registered Uber cars compared with 13,587 yellow cabs . Uber cars , which are hailed by an app , now outnumber the yellow taxis in New York City , a place famous for its classic yellow cars ( file photo ) But it hardly means yellow cabs are out of favor . In fact , there are about 440,000 yellow cab rides a day , compared to just 20,000 to 30,000 Uber rides . That 's because Uber drivers often own their own cars and work less than 40 hours a week , while most yellow taxis are owned by cab companies , have more than one driver and are on the road close to 24 hours a day . 'Yellow cab rides significantly outstrip the number of black car rides , ' said Meera Joshi , chairwoman of the taxi commission . 'So the number of their affiliated vehicles in and of itself does n't paint a complete picture . ' Uber was introduced in New York City in 2011 and has grown steadily in popularity , particularly among tech-savvy customers who are comfortable hailing rides through an app that shows when a car is on the way . A customer can even follow its progress with a blip on a street map . Similar companies such as Lyft use apps to connect with riders . Prices are comparable , but some Uber riders have complained about fare add-ons for larger vehicles and 'surge pricing ' during rush hour , bad weather or holidays . Figures released by the New York 's Taxi and Limousine Commission shows that 14,088 registered Uber cars compared with 13,587 yellow cabs in the city ( file photo ) ' I absolutely do love the convenience , and if it 's not surge pricing I find the costs very comparable and in some cases cheaper than yellow taxis , ' said Kerry Farrell , a paralegal who uses Uber about three times a week . Uber spokesman Matt Wing declined to comment on the significance of the numbers of Uber cars surpassing yellow cabs . But some drivers and their advocates grumbled that Uber 's growth has flooded the market , lowering average incomes for all drivers . 'Uber having an unlimited number of cars means no drivers — taxi or black car and livery — will earn a decent living , ' said Bhairavi Desai , executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance , an advocacy group that includes both Uber and yellow cab drivers as members . Mamadou Diallo , who has been driving a yellow cab since 2004 , said he once could count on at least 30 fares a day . But his take has dropped 30 to 40 percent since Uber and other such car services entered the New York market . 'It 's a jungle , ' he said , 'and the big fish always eat the small fish . ' New York 's 13,587 yellow cabs are in competition with smartphone-driven newcomers on city streets , especially the 14,088 registered Uber cars that now outnumber cabs . Here 's a look at how the basic operations of the two compare . Yellow Cabs . Uber .
There are 14,088 registered Uber cars and 13,587 yellow cabs in New York . The company has been criticized for its treatment of drivers who have complained about being underpaid or not getting enough hours to make a living. Uber cars , which can be summoned by a smarthphone app , were introduced in New York City in 2011 and has grown steadily in popularity .