San Francisco-based startup, Chariot, is vying for licenses in New York to enter and eventually take over the dollar van industry that has been dominated by Caribbean immigrants for years.

According to local news site Brokelyn, the dollar vans work in conjunction with the city's buses and train system. When your money is a little tight, these vans provide a cheap and affordable alternative to the public transit. In about two years, the vans will become even more vital to New Yorkers looking to get to their destinations a little quicker without breaking the bank.

The L train is scheduled to be shut down for repairs in 2019 that will make commuting to Brooklyn from Williamsburg to Canarsie and Manhattan to difficult. This is where the dollar vans come in.

Photo: Chariot

Chariot wants in on this as the new issue will make a lot of alternative commuting options profitable. The Uber-like business offers a 30-day monthly pass for $119. But unlike Uber, you don't call a Chariot. You must “support” the “route” you want to take from pickup to drop-off, according to Brokelyn, and then 50 other backers must also support the route.

And to make matters worse, city officials have reportedly favored Chariot over the Caribbean owners when it comes to licensing.

“We envision cities where every commuter takes Chariot to work and home,” the company's website reads, declaring their mission as “building sustainable mass transit.”

This recent case is just one instance of this type of gentrification. In recent weeks, another California-based startup came under fire for trying to put Bodegas out of business by creating accessible vending machines that sell similar products.

Dollar Vans

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