Europe’s largest private hire operator has written an open letter to London mayor Sadiq Khan complaining about Uber’s actions.
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Following months of demonstrations from drivers of the capital’s famous black cabs, public body Transport for London (TfL) launched a consultation past year on a raft of proposals to restrict the way private hire firms operate.
Uber kicked up a stink about the proposals, looping its users in as lobbyists by messaging them to sign a petition against changes it claimed would destroy the Uber “you know and love”. TfL, however, considers centralised support “an important safety requirement”.
“Bureaucratic new rules from TFL send the opposite message and threaten the livelihood of thousands of drivers”.
Uber’s London general manager Tom Elvidge said: “The goalposts have moved at the last minute”, adding that the new rules would be “bad for both drivers and companies like Uber”.
Uber has launched a legal challenge against new rules in London that require thousands of its drivers to pass a test in English.
Uber said its drivers already go through rigorous checks before securing a private hire license. The transport group also wants Uber to establish a call centre in London, and to raise the level of insurance to cover drivers even when they’re not on the road.
Hogan Lovells successfully defended Uber in a headline case last October when TfL asked the High Court to decide whether its fare calculator app was a taximeter – a device which is restricted to black cabs. They are also required to have hire and reward insurance in place.
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TfL confirmed that it had received a letter warning of a legal challenge from Uber, saying: “We responded to Uber’s letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private-hire regulations”. The measures also force Uber to notify Transport for London of any changes made to its mobile-phone app. The rules “have been introduced to enhance public safety when using private hire services and we are determined to create a vibrant taxi and private hire market with space for all providers to flourish”.
