Taxi Driver Online

I've just has a copy of the LPHCA press release about the matter which they are also supporting the protest and legal action.

LPHCA PRESS NOTICE Issued Tue 10/06/2014
MINICAB, CHAUFFEUR & EXECUTIVE OPERATORS ASSOCIATION BACKS TAXI DEMO
The Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA) has issued the following press notice.
The LPHCA fully supports the London Taxi Industry's protest on Wednesday 11th June against Transport for London’s (TfL’s) failure to enforce Taxi & Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) regulations against Uber and similar apps operating in London.
The LPHCA agrees with the LTDA that Uber vehicles are equipped with taxi metering devices in breach of the law and also shares the LTDA's wider concerns about Uber's business.
The private hire regulations require that private hire operators deal with passengers through a licensed entity and that journey bookings are accepted at a licensed operating centre. Those rules are designed to protect public safety and all mini-cab, chauffeur & executive companies must comply with them.
The LPHCA believes that Uber is breaking the law because:
•Uber is engaging with passengers through an unlicensed Dutch entity Uber B.V. (for the purpose we believe of minimising its tax liability in the UK)
•Uber journey bookings are being accepted by drivers in their vehicles and not at a licensed operating centre
The LPHCA is a party to the legal proceedings commenced by TFL and will raise all these issues in those proceedings.
The LPHCA also has evidence of Drivers engaged by ‘Uber’, using vehicles for transporting the travelling public without appropriate insurance or the consent of the vehicle owners.
Steve Wright MBE (Chairman of the LPHCA) says “London’s Taxi, Minicab, Chauffeur & Executive Industries have the reputation for being the best ‘fully regulated’ service providers in the world.
All operators, no matter how big or small, must comply with the regulations, which are designed to protect public safety. Uber has a reputation for ignoring regulation elsewhere in the world and they must not be allowed to do the same here.”
END
Steve Wright campaigned for the licensing of Minicabs in London for 25 years. The safety group the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, entered the campaign in the early 90’s and London joined the rest of the UK by introducing licensing for all PHV's (Minicabs, Chauffeur & Executive) from 1998.