Uber Can Continue Operating In London After Winning Court Appeal (engadget.com) 17
After losing its license to operate in London last November, deputy chief magistrate of Transport for London (TfL), Tanweer Ikram, granted Uber an 18-month license after winning their court appeal. "Despite their historical failings, I find them, now, to be a fit and proper person to hold a London PHV [private hire vehicle] operator's license," he concluded. Engadget reports: Uber's new licence runs for 18 months. It has "a number of conditions," according to TfL, that will allow the regulator to "closely monitor Uber's adherence to the regulations and to swiftly take action if they fail to meet the required standards." Jamie Heywood, Uber's regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, added: "This decision is a recognition of Uber's commitment to safety and we will continue to work constructively with TfL. There is nothing more important than the safety of the people who use the Uber app as we work together to keep London moving."
The UK's App Drivers and Couriers Union (ACDU) has "cautiously" welcomed the court's decision, but believes London mayor Sadiq Khan should take further action and limit the number of licensed drivers on the platform. "Such reductions, achieved through attrition, are necessary to ensure Uber can comfortably meet its compliance obligations including worker rights whilst giving TfL the breathing space necessary so that it can comfortably meet its responsibilities to ensure that Uber drivers and the traveling public are protected," the union said in a press release.
The UK's App Drivers and Couriers Union (ACDU) has "cautiously" welcomed the court's decision, but believes London mayor Sadiq Khan should take further action and limit the number of licensed drivers on the platform. "Such reductions, achieved through attrition, are necessary to ensure Uber can comfortably meet its compliance obligations including worker rights whilst giving TfL the breathing space necessary so that it can comfortably meet its responsibilities to ensure that Uber drivers and the traveling public are protected," the union said in a press release.
Was safety the concern? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
what about the the knowledge of london?? (Score:2)
Make uber drivers pass that test.
Re: (Score:1)
Make uber drivers pass that test.
"The Knowledge" has always been a silly requirement designed to stifle competition but it is especially silly now that we have GPS.
If it is important to you that your driver has memorized every alley, then pay extra to take a black cab. Meanwhile, more sensible people will use Uber.
Re: what about the the knowledge of london?? (Score:3)
Then you've very very little understanding of The Knowledge. I hold it in high regard not because they know alleyways but because (a) they're still better at predicting better routes, (b) don't mistake the Thames for a road, and (c) have brains enlarged and reshaped.
But if you want drivers with smaller brains and a propensity for treating dead-ends as roads, that's your business. Sensible people choose drivers who know the way.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: what about the the knowledge of london?? (Score:3)
The Knowledge hasn't *always* been a silly idea: it was probably introduced as a response to poor service. GPS is only good up to a point, and I have to monitor and advise Uber drivers a lot more than Black Cab drivers. I've had a number of Uber drivers get predictably get caught in bottlenecks because the Waze app thought it could save them a couple of minutes, or simply choose an asinine route or one that is impossible because Google can'talways beat local knowledge either. I've even had one one GPS fo
Re: what about the the knowledge of london?? (Score:3)
This was an interesting article I read a few years ago on the subject: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/1... [nytimes.com]
Re: what about the the knowledge of london?? (Score:2)
Agreed. Make all can drivers in all parts of the country pass the local equivalent, inventing the test where it doesn't exist.
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Sure, so long as they can use Google.
This is like when in math class they told you that you wouldn't always have a calculator on hand. Well, guess what? I do, and have for over a decade now. Teachers are lousy futurists.
Google knows more than any cabbie.
Union Mob (Score:2)
Sadiq Khan should take further action and limit the number of licensed drivers on the platform
The union wants to artificially keep driver supply low to keep pay high.
knowledge not union in London! (Score:2)
knowledge not union in London!
Re: Union Mob (Score:2)
You've very little understanding of unions in Britain.
Uber is Great (Score:1)
Deputy chief magistrate (Score:4, Informative)
Deputy chief magistrate is a judicial role, with widespread responsibilities (see eg UK Judiciary website [judiciary.uk]). It is not part of Transport for London.
TfL had continued to oppose Uber, but the court didn't agree.
Options (Score:2)
You used to only have 3 options in London:
Black Cabs - fantastic and quick as hell but very expensive for anything more than a short distance. To get from central london to Heathrow is bankrupting.
Private Limos - These are pre-booked Mercedes etc who do corporate work. Not cheap but cheaper than a black cab if you going to Heathrow for example.
Minicabs - spin the dial basically.
Uber added a fourth option which would suck a lot of business from all 3
Note that the first 2 heavily depend on corporate work wher