On Tuesday, Transport for London, the capital’s transport authority, said it would launch a consultation that could result in a severe crackdown over the ride-sharing service in the city. A few Uber drivers could be eligible for workers compensation.
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“It has certainly taken away a few of the costs and regulations for taxi drivers but it is still not level with Uber in a number of areas”. The 25 proposals also include a stipulation that drivers only work for one operator at a time and impose controls on ride-sharing for private hire vehicles.
An Uber auto was involved in a downtown crash on Thursday morning as rules surrounding Uber and insurance remain murky, and city council votes to regulate the service.
The meeting saw emotions run high for much of the day as members of the taxi industry and UBER supporters cheered and jeered from the gallery several times.
Under new rules, cabs will have to wait for a minimum of five minutes for picking up a passenger (more on them below).
The legislation will allow taxi and hire auto drivers carry Uber passengers, opening up multiple modes of business to accredited drivers, while Uber drivers will be banned from picking up passengers in taxi ranks and stopping in taxi, bus and loading zones.
“TfL also wants to restrict carpooling, including new services like uberPOOL”.
Yesterday about 1,500 black cab drivers brought parts of central London to a standstill to protest about the handling of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) handling of Uber.
But even with this in mind, TfL’s proposals will come as a surprise given that the Conservative government has regularly spoken up for Uber.
Garrett Emmerson, from TfL, said: “No final decisions have been made and we’re keen to hear a range of views from the trade and from Londoners too”.
Under the new rules, ride-sharing operators will also face criminal and driving checks similar to those imposed on taxi drivers. The petition received 38,965 signatures within a few hours. Toronto is one of the company’s fastest-growing North American markets and is among its 10 biggest cities in the Americas, Ian Black, Uber’s general manager for Canada, said Wednesday.
Uber has been the subject of growing numbers of complaints from black cab driver who believe its booking and payment app breaches rules banning minicabs from using a meter to calculate fares.
The company has hit back by launching an online petition, saying the rules would herald the “end for the Uber you know and love today.”
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“That system largely worked fine until recently, but the emergence of Uber has turned it on its head”, he said.
