Just like any other business, taxi driving is all about money; and, as a result, taxi bribery cases surface everywhere in the world where taxis drive, from New York to Mumbai.
In 2002, the New York Times reported on a taxi bribery case in New York, in which taxi cab dispatchers let certain taxi drivers cut to the front of the airport pick-up lines in exchange for bribes. [See: New York Times] The motivation for the scandal was obvious: taxi drivers who can jump to the front of the line stand to profit from increased traffic (i.e., less waiting time between passengers), and the taxi dispatchers are enriched by receiving a share of the drivers’ increased income.
An acquaintance in Mumbai has witnessed taxi bribery cases in India, as well. After moving to Mumbai, he found that it was difficult for him to catch taxis from the train station or airport to his home – as soon as drivers heard his street address, they lost interest because it was too close to the train station and the airport, and therefore would not provide a high-enough fee to justify losing their place in line. Like the New York taxi drivers in the above news article, these drivers had already paid bribes to secure their places in line.
And the incentives that drive taxi bribery cases are not found only in huge cities. In Oklahoma City (a relatively small major city for the U.S.) I have repeatedly encountered taxi drivers who were excited to give me a ride until they heard that my location was nearby, and who then decided they would rather keep their place in line. Like many airports, though, Oklahoma City requires drivers to take the passenger who happens to arrive when they are first in line. I cannot say whether bribery happens there or not, but I have met a couple drivers who would be willing to pay bribes to get higher paying passengers.
Sources
Kennedy, Randy. “7 Charged With Bribery in Cabs’ Cutting Line at Airports,” New York Times, September 19, 2002, available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/19/nyregion/7-charged-with-bribery-in-cabs-cutting-line-at-airports.html