Server Suggestion Taxi rework

[Imperius]

Suggestion Title: Taxi rework

Suggestion Description: I think the taxi is the most underused job in the game and its actually sad because it can be a fun job especially meeting lots of people doing so and obviously most people have a car or would rather get the metro than jump in one right now. I think the pay is just too low for people to want to consider doing taxi and also too expensive for those that know they could wait 40 seconds for a train to not have to spend a shit ton of money getting in with a taxi. It's the only job that doesn't really get touched much apart from I've seen some sweaters using it to run people over lmao. I think if the money for the job was increased we'd see a lot more taxi drivers in the city and it also makes the city feel a bit brighter and more alive. I think with an increase it would also make sense to reduce the cost of travel for the customer too. So the taxi driver can get paid much better and will motivate people to want to hop in one. This would be especially helpful for new players having taxi drivers helping them around as im sure some would pick them up and help them find where they need to go especially those doing tutorials that may get confused, lost and end up leaving before they even give it a chance. It would also just mean people interact a bit more which is never a downside as well meeting new people and making new friends.

Why should this be added?:
- Improves player interaction and roleplay across the city
- Makes the taxi job a viable and appealing option
- Helps the city feel more alive with active drivers
- Encourages organic conversations and social encounters
- Provides support for new players navigating the map
- Reduces over-reliance on personal vehicles and the metro

What negatives could this have?:
- Risk of taxi job becoming overpowered if pay is too high
- Possible imbalance in the in-game economy
- Could make other transport options like the metro less relevant

What problem would this suggestion solve?:
- Taxi job is currently underused and often ignored
- Low pay discourages players from choosing the job
- High cost discourages players from using taxis
- Lack of interaction due to players using solo transport options
- Job is sometimes misused instead of played properly

Useful Images: https://gyazo.com/666e66c34e4617c47177fbb08ce28732

 

[fatgirllover]

Adding ranks like other jobs where the top rank offers for example the ability to offer limousine service would be awesome

 

[Imperius]

Adding ranks like other jobs where the top rank offers for example the ability to offer limousine service would be awesome

definitely or just faster cars which can get people places quicker and could just be reskins of existing cars with the taxi colours as I know we recently lost the dev who created the cars

 

[fatgirllover]

I feel like having fast cars isnt the problem, most people know someone with a fast car who can drive them from point A to B, taxi would be perfect as a sort of novelty transportation having options you cant really get outside of the taxi job

 

[Exnem]

One of the reasons the taxi job is so under-utilized is that it's a job based on opportunity. Said window of opportunity is very small in most circumstances. In instances where people are stranded or otherwise unable to arrange their own transportation from sources nearby, it would take them less time to correct this by taking the subway than it would be to call a taxi, provide a location and wait to be picked up only to be driven to the destination to get a vehicle.

Vehicles are also dirt cheap to obtain in the lower tiers, which also doesn't help the taxi job. When basically everyone has a car, why hire a driver?
The subway is free, and it's also faster than a taxi in most cases. In cases where you're going short distances, it'll probably be more efficient to just walk.

Everything is currently stacked against the taxi job right now, even salary is poor. There's little incentive to be a taxi driver.

If the taxi driver job is to be pulled out of its slump, it'll need a paycheck matching roughly 60-80% of a police SO paycheck, which'll provide the base desire to drive around collecting said paycheck. Once that happens, finding opportunities to pick up players will come naturally as you're driving around. Every pickup further boosts your pay, which could make the job very lucrative for those who become experienced.
This would provide the tiny bit of incentive needed to get people patrolling, while not altering the stranded loop or making it more of a nightmare to get a set of wheels back. Nerfing the gameplay loop of getting a ride, going to car garage or otherwise spawning a car is just a net negative for everyone involved and would make everyone miserable.

Taxi driver would match the courier in this aspect. Whilst courier isn't paid a large sum in paycheck, you are compensated nicely whenever someone creates a large order and you complete said delivery.

Roadcrew makes half-decent salary too, plus the $500 repair bonus. There are lots of incentives to be a roadcrew worker too, such as car damage being easy to attain for other drivers. Repairs are in high demand, essentially. You are also paid for every impound, and with players being exceptionally great at parking incorrectly, this isn't hard to come by.

I don't think the taxi job needs a rework, in that sense of the word. I just think it needs a tweak to bring it in line with the rest of the passive jobs.