Taxi Driver Online

More utter nonsense from Unite, months after this whole thing seemed to have been forgotten about.

The Casey audit gets a mention, so no doubt they think the likes of that and all that's going on will change things.

Which is fair enough, and there's a compelling argument to be made.

But they're still trying to say that Uber is licensed in some unique way that the rest of the country isn't subject to, and that Uber isn't private hire, essentially.

Not sure if Unite here just being disingenuous to make their case, or just don't know the rules, like the GMB re Wolverhampton yesterday


Gatwick taxi drivers protest at Uber swerving licensing laws and crippling trade

https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-even ... ling-trade

Protest launches major Unite campaign targeting Gatwick and Uber for undercutting local drivers

Gatwick taxi drivers will stage a protest at the airport tomorrow over Uber’s swerving of licensing laws that is crippling local trade, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today.

When: 08:00 hrs, Thursday 9 October 2025
Where: Gatwick South Terminal roundabout, RH6 0NP

Uber has an unfair advantage over Crawley’s private hire taxis because it can circumvent the local authority’s licensing laws, resulting in Uber cars registered in London entering the town and waiting for passengers. Private hire taxis, on the other hand, cannot pick up fares outside of their licensing areas unless they have been pre-booked.

The situation has led to an in-flux of London-based Uber cars into Crawley which are then parking up to poach private hire car business. Uber’s growing encroachment into Crawley’s taxi sector is damaging livelihoods and undermining the local economy, which is heavily dependent on Gatwick.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Gatwick is disgracing itself by partnering with a race-to-the-bottom firm like Uber, which is destroying local livelihoods and damaging Crawley’s economy. Unite will not rest until Gatwick takes action to address our members’ concerns.

“Nor can the government continue to sit on the sidelines – Uber’s sidestepping of local licensing laws is hurting workers and putting passengers at risk across the country. Ministers need to close the loopholes in the legislation.”

Gatwick bosses have actively encouraged the attack on local taxi driver livelihoods by partnering with Uber and advertising and facilitating access to its services at the airport.

The protest launches a new Unite campaign to force Gatwick to ensure local drivers are not put at an unfair disadvantage by Uber. As well as actions to pressure Gatwick and Uber, the union is also demanding government implement the recommendations of the Casey Report to strengthen weak council taxi licensing laws that Uber is taking advantage of.

ENDS

For media enquires ONLY contact senior Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215 or 020 3371 2065.

Email: ryan.fletcher@unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.

The My London website has done a piece based on the above, and also usefully summarises how the whole thing was put on hold last time round, after dozens of articles and a council probe etc.

Nothing will change now unless and until Parliament changes the legislation, which obviously won't happen overnight

Gatwick cars are a premium service, positioned between normal and executive; therefore, everyone who doesn't run a super deluxe executive car will undercut them. Both locally and South East wide.

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IDFIMH

Far be it from me to defend Uber, but the London PH I see picking up are of a good standard, and most of those that they pick up will be going up the road to London, which is only 13 miles up the road.

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IDFIMH

I kind of agree, to a degree, with what is being said above.

For years Gatwick Cars have spent a large fortune paying for the rights to pick up just outside the terminals. However, the greedy airport owners have now also taken wads of cash from Uber, enabling Uber to have designated pick-up bays in the very nearby carparks, with huge signage in the terminals pointing the way to the Uber 'ranks'.

I'm at Gatwick all the time, and I often see up to 100 people waiting at the Uber 'ranks'. Now, not all of those would have used Gatwick Cars, but quite a number would have in the past.

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IDFIMH

This is a fair summation of the situation from the BBC.

Which begs the question posed by the photo, what's the point of all this, and the protest, signs and banners in particular?

Reminds me of those protesters in London all the time; you know, the pro-Gaza/Palestine/Hamas lot, or whatever

I mean, even assuming you agreed with them, what's the point of it all - they're not going to make anyone agree with them who doesn't do so already? All they'll do, I suspect is alienate some who might otherwise support them, or who don't feel particularly strongly either way..

The Unite Gatwick supporters aren't quite the same, obviously, but still make you wonder what the point of standing around with banners and the like is.

It might have helped 'raise awareness', or whatever, when it all kicked off, but now?

But I suppose it's the usual thing of the unions marching the minions up to the top of the hill once again, and it will all keep some official somewhere in a job



Gatwick taxi drivers strike over Uber 'poaching'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7842520e8go

Private-hire taxi drivers staged a protest at Gatwick Airport on Thursday claiming Uber has gained an unfair advantage in the trade.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/9 ... c.jpg.webp

Unite the Union said taxi drivers in Crawley were losing fares because Uber drivers registered elsewhere would enter the town to "poach" passengers from Gatwick, which members said led to an influx of London-based Uber cars into Crawley.

Uber denied this and said it "abides by the same regulations as all other private hire operators".

Crawley Borough Council said legal advice found no licensing grounds to take enforcement action over Uber's activity at Gatwick.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Gatwick is disgracing itself by partnering with a race-to-the-bottom firm like Uber, which is destroying local livelihoods and damaging Crawley's economy.

"Unite will not rest until Gatwick takes action to address our members' concerns.

"Nor can the government continue to sit on the side lines. Uber's sidestepping of local licensing laws is hurting workers and putting passengers at risk across the country. Ministers need to close the loopholes in the legislation."

The protest marked the start of a new campaign which Unite said aimed to fix the disadvantage it said its members were at.

An Uber spokesperson said: "Uber operates according to the high standards set across the industry and abides by the same regulations as all other private hire operators."

Crawley Borough Council said: "The council investigation sought to determine whether there were any licensing grounds for enforcement relating to Uber's activity at Gatwick.

"Independent legal advice received stated that there were no grounds for enforcement."

The council said it was reported to a meeting of the Licensing Committee on 18 March 2025.

Gatwick has been contacted for comment.

And, naturally, Crawley operators have been using cross-border cars for years, including TfL-plated cars - who'd have expected that?

This document is from 2019:
https://democracy.crawley.gov.uk/docume ... 202015.pdf

Uber is like a cancer it is at stage 4 and it is now too late to cut it out

all the British trade can do now is wither and die Uber is now too strong to remove

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

Uber will never, to quote a phrase, take over the world. In fact, I think if ever self-drive vehicles took over, that would be the end of Uber. As all the kids and yuppies would then use them.

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IDFIMH

Even the Daily Mail has done a piece on it

Nothing particularly new in it, but it does provide quotes from both Gatwick Airport and Uber, but I think it's just the same stuff as previously.

Funny thing, though - you know the Daily Mail has a reputation as being a tad obsessed by house prices? They've even managed to shoehorn a few paragraphs about Gatwick area house prices into the piece

This is just the latter part of the piece with the quotes and the bit about house prices - just in case anyone is thinking of buying or selling a house there, and are worried about the impact of the possible second runway


Gatwick taxi drivers protest at Uber 'swerving licensing laws and crippling trade'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/arti ... trade.html

A London Gatwick spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ''We recognise the importance of fair competition across all transport providers.

'Airport Cars, London Gatwick's official taxi partner, continues to operate from dedicated bays directly outside the terminals, offering convenient access for passengers.

'Passengers who choose to use Uber or other private hire vehicles can do so from designated pick-up zones designed to reduce congestion on local roads and provide a smooth passenger experience.'

An Uber spokesperson said: 'Uber operates according to the high standards set across the industry and abides by the same regulations as all other private hire operators.

'This has been supported by a thorough independent review by Crawley Borough Council, which upheld our set-up at Gatwick.'

It comes after a recent report revealed Gatwick Airport's second runway could cause house prices in the local area to plummet.

The plan, which involves moving the hub's emergency runway 13 yards north, will ramp up flights by around 100,000 a year.

It has been suggested that the second runway could be in action before 2029.

However, the plans could cause house prices in the local area to plummet by as much as £40,000, according to new research by Yopa.

The analysis found the homes closest to Gatwick or located under new flight paths could reduce in value by -7.5 per cent.

In Mole Valley, this would be a £40,513 fall on average, while it could be £38,270 in Tandridge and £36,469 in Reigate and Banstead.