Islam Mohammed, 24, looks at an illustration of a proposed “Taxi of Tomorrow” design. Jalil Ahmed, 56, left, and Ravi Kandh, 46, right, wait for their cabs to return from the day shift so they can begin the night shift.

“Being a cab driver is a pain in the ass,” said Mohammed, a college student who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and began driving taxis when he was 19.

He said between the leasing fee and gas, it costs about $200 to take a cab out for a normal shift. For him, Fridays and Saturdays are the only times when he can make much money driving.