Cabbies revolt over smartphone taxi app Uber
Black cab drivers are closing ranks against the smartphone app Uber, amidst concern that the mobile taxi ordering service is undermining their business.
The new app enables users to search for vehicles near them before booking an agreed fare by credit card, negating the need to exchange money, stoking accusations that Uber has found a way to skirt industry regulations by positioning itself as a taxi ‘facilitator’ rather than a provider.
This requires black cabs to offer metered fares in return for privileges such as picking up fares from the street and use of bus lanes, something which minicabs have hitherto not been able to offer.
A spokesperson for Transport for London said in a statement: “We've seen no evidence to suggest that Uber London Ltd are not fit and proper to hold a London private hire operators' licence, but no final decisions have been made while Uber's operating model is still under investigation."
Jo Bertram, general manager of Uber UK and Ireland said: “Our clients are giving us very encouraging feedback and we're seeing fantastic growth. The private hire industry hasn't been shaken up in a decade or more. The laws governing it were written in 1988, before smartphones were even invented. All our drivers are independent operators, but clients can rate their driver at the end of a journey, so we make sure the right people are out there and the right price is charged at the end of each journey. "