BUFFALO, NY — Liberty Yellow Cab will be operating in Buffalo on New Year's Eve after all.
Liberty Cab officials went back and forth on Friday about the company's plans for one of the biggest party nights of the year.
Liberty originally said its taxis would not be on roadways in protest of what the company calls "unfair competition" with ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft now operating in Western New York.
However, after Liberty President Bill Yuhnke received a letter from State Sen. Chris Jacobs asking him to reconsider the New Year's Eve protest, Liberty has now called off the protest.
"Our company has served the residents of Buffalo for many decades, and true to our history, we want what's best for the community so I have decided to call off the planned boycott of the city on New Year's Eve," Yuhnke said in a statement.
Liberty spokesman Tony Farina told 2 On Your Side shortly before sending a press release that the company was undecided about its plan and that an official decision will come during the press conference Saturday. Farina now says that calling off the boycott is the company's final decision and that they won't be holding a press conference Saturday.
On Liberty's Facebook page, the company wrote around 1 p.m., "Liberty Yellow Cab will service all Western NY including the city of Buffalo for pick up/drop off's on New Years Eve."
When contacted about the post by phone, Liberty Cab President Bill Yuhnke told 2 On Your Side that the cab service would be in operation. Yuhnke went on to say that the plan was never to boycott, but rather the company would not allow riders to get a cab directly on the streets. Instead, riders would need to use the Curb app to get a ride.
However, that's not what Liberty spokesman Farina told 2 On Your Side in a phone interview Friday morning. He said that Liberty drivers would be working around Western New York, but not in the City of Buffalo.
"The public may find out what it's like to have to pay whatever somebody wants to charge without any regulation because that's what's going to happen," Farina said. "They're unregulated now and they won't have the taxis around to compete with them so they can charge whatever they want. It's going to be an economic hardship for travelers."
When asked by 2 On Your Side why there was apparently miscommunication between himself and Farina, he said, "Until I get all the facts in front of me, I can't say any more."
