UBER UPDATE UK
MANCHESTER COUNCIL REQUESTS URGENT TALKS
Manchester City Council has requested an emergency meeting with Uber executives after the taxi firm was stripped of its licence in Lon- don. The Manchester Evening News reports that council leaders have accused the company of ‘undermining local licensing standards’ by flooding the city with vehicles from other local authorities. It comes after the ride-hailing firm was refused a new London licence, after at least 14,000 trips across the capital were made with drivers who were not the ones shown on the app. Manchester is one of a number of councils that now say they are considering a ban on the app. Leaders have summoned Uber for urgent talks, amid concerns their business model falls short of the safety standards implemented in their authority. Cllr Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council, said: “Whilst Uber as an operator provides many beneficial services to customers and has transformed the pri- vate hire industry, their business model does cause some concerns. “Local licensing standards are undermined by the volume of drivers and vehicles working on the Uber platform - as well as some other operators in Manchester - that have been licensed by authorities with much lower standards and licence conditions. “We work hard in Manchester to ensure that our residents and visi- tors are driven by drivers who are fit and proper to hold a licence, and in vehicles that are safe and of a high quality; but that is made immeasurably harder by drivers and vehicles flooding the city from other local authorities over whom we have no direct control. “Whilst current legislation facilitates and allows this practice, we would hope that our licensed operators who wish to trade in the city would work more closely with us and support the high stan- dards that Manchester aims to provide to the travelling public.” Manchester City Council currently requires an enhanced DBS check before issuing a private hire licence, and proactively checks the sta- tus of the DBS regularly throughout the three-year licence. The council has expressed concerns about Uber drivers freely coming into the city from other local authorities which do not implement the same rigid standards. The current licence granted to the firm to operate in Manchester is due to expire on July 31 2021. An Uber spokeswoman said: “We work closely with licensing authorities across the country and want to reassure all councils that we have robust processes in place. TfL’s decision not to renew Uber’s licence in London is extraordinary and wrong, and we will appeal. We have fundamentally changed our business over the last two years and are setting the standard on safety across the UK.”
SOUTHAMPTON TAXI DRIVERS CALL FOR REVIEW ON UBER IN THE CITY
Southampton taxi drivers are calling for a review of Uber in the city after the company’s application was refused in London. The Daily Echo reports that Southampton Hackney and Private Hire Association and Unite the Union have asked Southampton City Council (SCC) to take a look at Uber in Southampton and to not issue any more licences. Ian Hall from NPHTA affiliated Southampton Hackney and Private Hire Association said: “This review would be long overdue. There are lots of concerns in Southampton, the council needs to review it and we would like to see no more licences issued.
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“If the Capital of this country can get rid of Uber, I think we should have some concerns too.” Perry McMillan from Unite the Union cab section added: “Surely as a customer you’d have some concerns about what they have dis- covered in London. “If the Capital doesn’t deem them as fit and proper, why should they be allowed to operate here?” Unite the Union is calling on all councils across the south coast to review Uber’s licences, including Portsmouth and Bournemouth. A council spokesperson said: “SCC note the decision by Transport for London to refuse to renew the operator licence for Uber in Lon- don and the reasons given. This is a decision TfL has reached based on the evidence it has of the way Uber operates in London. “We accept there are similarities on the operating model, but it must be acknowledged that in London Uber operates under differ- ent legislation and conditions to Southampton. “We will continue to monitor all of the operators in the city, and take action where appropriate.”
SOUTH ESSEX DRIVERS ON ALERT OVER UBER FEARS
Drivers say they must stand together to ensure that Uber does not take over south Essex after Transport for London opted not to renew the firm’s licence to work in the capital. As part of the decision, the authority said: “sev- eral breaches that placed passengers and their safety at risk” were identified. The firm’s existing licence was refused renewal in November, but the app-based company has been allowed to continue to operate, hav- ing lodged an appeal. Tina Denney, 58, from Canvey, who works as an independent taxi driver as well as a driver for Steve’s Taxi in Benfleet, told the Southend Standard: “They are already operating in south Essex and I wouldn’t be surprised if they start to work in our area more. “As licensed drivers we must all stick together and make sure they do not work more in our area. I hope that cabbies would all club together and stop this from happening. “We do not want them working in our patch. If they want to come here, they must be licensed and we should all be working to the same standards.” Geoff Bradley, 66, an independent taxi driver based in Benfleet, said: “I think there is a danger to the public if they come here because of complaints and issues in London and elsewhere. “If they do decide to target our area if will be a bad thing. It could impact drivers who have a dual licence with firms.” David Harrison, Wickford Independent chairman of Basildon Coun- cil’s neighbourhoods and public spaces committee, added: “I think there will be some who try to operate in Basildon but the council will be quick to act and stop it. “I think the cabbies in Basildon will be quick to tell the council and it will act swiftly. I think it will be the same with all councils in our area.” Uber boss Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted: “ We understand we’re held to a high bar, as we should be. But this TfL decision is just wrong. Over the last two years we have fundamentally changed how we operate in London. We have come very far — and we will keep going, for the millions of drivers and riders who rely on us.”
JANUARY 2020
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