The proposed rules, seen by The Telegraph, encompass the introduction of a minimum five-minute waiting time between ordering a vehicle and it arriving, and limits on ride-sharing – both of which seem to be direct confrontations against Uber and its UberPool service.
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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.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks and closes on 23 December 2015.
Its arrival in each new city has been met with strong lobbying and protests from taxi drivers, who believe they are being undercut because the same rules and regulations that have applied to them are not being applied to Uber. Ride-sharing drivers will be allowed to take smartphone application and phone bookings but only taxis will be allowed to pick up passengers from ranks and on the street.
Earlier this week, the Institute of Directors, which represents thousands of business leaders in Britain, attacked TFL’s plans to curb many of Uber’s services, saying they would “embed economic inefficiency” in the capital’s transport regulations.
Transport for London’s leaked consultation document is not only a thinly-veiled attack on Uber, but an attack on all forms of competition and potential new services in the private hire transportation space. This makes it significantly quicker than traditional private hire operators, although they are regulated as such.
The proposals could also see limitations put on ride-sharing, and a new requirement that ensures customers must be able to book cars seven days in advance. (The two companies were founded within months of each other, Uber in San Francisco in March 2009, and Hailo in London in late 2010).
Garrett Emmerson, chief operating officer for surface transport at TfL, said: “We are launching a public consultation in order to inform and improve the regulations that govern the capital’s private hire trade”.
The petition has attracted more than 70,000 signatures in a matter of hours.
One Toronto taxi company has decided that if you can’t beat Uber, join Uber!
The council said: “The city council requires CCTV in all taxis and private hire vehicles as part of measures to protect passengers and drivers, enhanced police checks for drivers, high training standards for drivers and the provision of wheelchair-accessible vehicles”.
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“Hailo was made strong by its original connections to the taxi trade and we feel we’ve drifted too far from it”.
