Taxi Driver Online

High Court to rule on smartphone fares in Uber controversy


A long-running battle between black cab drivers and private hire cars is about to reach the High Court.

Transport for London and controversial minicab-hailing app Uber are seeking clarification as to whether smartphones, used by some private hire drivers, can lawfully be used to calculate fares.

The crucial issue is whether the phones, which use GPS technology and connect to external servers to carry out calculations, are taximeters, which are prohibited in private hire vehicles in London.

The main trade bodies, the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association and Licensed Private Hire Car Association, are also joining in the application for judicial review.

TfL has stated that, on balance, it believes smartphones are not taximeters but concedes there are clearly arguments to the contrary and there is a significant public interest in resolving the matter definitively.

Leon Daniels, TfL's managing director of surface transport, said: "It is in everyone's interest to bring legal clarity to the issue of taximeters and to review the current regulations that were written well before smartphones were invented."

Black cab drivers have demonstrated in the capital against TfL's handling of regulation for private hire car companies, in particular Uber, and suggested that the ride-sharing taxi app puts public safety at risk.

The chief executive of one private hire company has warned Uber drivers they could be outlawed overnight.

Liam Griffin, CEO of Addison Lee, said, “Uber has recruited thousands of innocent minicab drivers and convinced them to use the Uber taxi meter without warning them of the potential risks.

"If the High Court hearing goes against them, literally thousands of Uber drivers could be at risk of a fine and a criminal record”.

Uber has hit out against proposals to tighten private hire regulation following TfL's launching of a consultation on a series of measures that would affect minicab drivers in the capital and is urging its customers to sign a petition as it warned the plans "will mean an end to the Uber you know and love today".

source: http://www.itv.com/news/london/2015-10- ... ntroversy/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I'm not a fan of Uber tbh but if the smartphone uses external methods to calculate the fare then surely it's just a communication device.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I wonder about this tbh - a phone has a calculator - its still a phone

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

How long before London change the rules to allow taxi meters in private hire?

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Grandad,

and what about all those non London PHV's being used that have meters?

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

It seems to me, more so with the LPHCA, that they are just trying to oust competition. I have empathy with the London taxis having to jump through so many hoops to provide a quality service, but, technology is changing everything. Things should be in place to improve driver standards, operator standards and vehicle standards to enable a fairer playing field and a safer service for the customer.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

To be honest it was stupidity personified that they were outlawed in the first place.

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IDFIMH

Judging by the fact that some of the taxi meter manufacturers are going out of business the taxi meter is probably a thing of the past anyway in 5 years time probably even black cabs will be using GPS equipment to calculate fares instead of meters

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Judgement reserved in Uber case


A High Court judge has reserved judgment on whether the controversial minicab-hailing app Uber is unlawful.

Transport for London asked the judge to rule specifically on whether the smartphone app is in reality operating as a meter like those found in taxis to calculate fares.

The app uses GPS technology and connects to external servers to carry out calculations of how much a customer owes based on the time a journey takes and the distance covered.

Section 11 (1) of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998, bars all private hire cars from being "equipped" with taximeters. Both TfL and Uber argued that the app is not a meter and therefore does not breach section 11.

But the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association which represents many of the 25,000 licensed taxi drivers in London, asked the judge to rule that they are unlawful devices for calculating fares.


Mr Justice Ouseley reserved his judgment at the end of a High Court hearing which was expected to last two days but finished in one.

He said he was also hoping it would not take him long to hand down his decision.



source: http://www.itv.com/news/london/update/2 ... uber-case/

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin