Hull taxi boss: 'Any driver leaving for Uber won't work for us again'
TAXI drivers in Hull who leave private hire firms to work for Uber "will be on their own", one boss has said.
The service, a booking app with a worldwide presence, is advertising for two senior jobs in the city. It has fuelled speculation Uber is about to launch in Hull, although a spokesman denied there were any immediate plans.
Chris Davidson, who runs Hull Cars in Anlaby Road, west Hull, said any of his drivers tempted to leave for the internet company would not be welcomed back if they changed their minds.
He said: "I'm sure some drivers might jump ship, but I won't take any driver who goes to Uber back on again. Other offices feel the same. Drivers will be on their own."
Uber allows people to sign up as drivers using their own cars, and work as much or little as they choose.
It has vastly undercut rivals in other cities, driving down consumer costs but leading some taxi drivers to fear for their livelihoods. There are also concerns about safety, and Uber's low-cost UberPOP service is banned in several European cities. UberPOP is not offered in the UK.
Mr Davidson, whose firm merged with fellow business Six0 cars earlier this year, said he doubted the app would catch on in Hull.
He said: "I don't think it will have a good time. It's only the youngsters who use the app.
"The price of a phone call is an absolute pittance and people like to speak to somebody.
"We see our drivers every other day, we know who works for us and if there are any problems we can deal with them immediately."
Keith Hutchinson, 59, said he could not see it catching on as Hull taxis were generally cheap anyway.
Mr Hutchinson, who has been driving for ten years, said: "I would never join Uber. I think they're barking up the wrong tree. Some people will be keen on it, some drivers will, but in general I think it will go a bit pear-shaped."
The news of a potential Uber arrival broke yesterday, when it was revealed the company was looking for an operations co-ordinator and an operations and logistics manager.
However, a spokesman said that did not mean a launch was about to happen. The firm had job adverts out in several cities, he said, so the right candidates could apply if they were available.
He said: "We're not in a position to launch or anything like that. Uber needs a couple of things before it can launch – one of them is an operating licence from the local council, and we've not even started talking to them.
"At this point, we don't have a fixed timeline or a fixed plan – we're just seeing who's out there."
He said Uber checks all its drivers rigorously, and the app has a service allowing friends to monitor a taxi's route.
Hull City Council confirmed it had not yet been approached by Uber.
Trevor Todd, assistant head of public protection, said: "Uber has not currently made us aware of any plans to begin operating in Hull. If they were to approach us, we would then begin discussion around how the business would function in Hull and how we could work together to ensure passenger safety is maintained."
A tax-user checklist
Humberside Police would not be responsible for checking Uber drivers, a spokesman said. He said the police would remind customers to check:
If there is a plate on the rear of the vehicle
The registration numbers, colour, make and model match what they are expecting
The driver's badge can be seen is a true likeness.
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