Dozens of independent taxi medallion owners rallied at City Hall Wednesday, demanding the city work to slow the growth of Uber and other ride-sharing apps.

The newly formed Taxi Driver-Owner Association organized the event.

Members say Uber and other services increase traffic and hurt the environment. They want Uber to have the same rules and regulations as yellow taxis.

"What they're asking for is a simple request. Equality and fairness," said Norman Siegel, a civil rights attorney. "For example, if one entity can engage in surge pricing, why can't the individual medallion owners do that, too? If one entity has apps, why can't they have apps?"

"The government sold us the medallions with as much as $1.1 million, and now, they are taking our food away and give it for free to black cars, Uber, Lyft, whatever, whoever they are," said one person at the rally. "Competition is good for consumer and should be fair and square."

The mayor has signed a bill calling for a study of the impact of services like Uber.

A City Hall spokesman says it will look at everything from passenger and worker rights to accessibility for people with disabilities.