Taxi Driver Online

‘Think again, Boris!’ Mayor of London is told to keep his hands off Uber by fellow Conservatives


London Mayor Boris Johnson wrote in a Sunday newspaper column that Uber are effectively breaking the law

TORY councillors have written to Boris Johnson urging him to “think again” about Transport for London’s proposed crack-down on Uber.

The Westminster Conservatives said they wanted TfL to “leave Uber alone” after a consultation on proposals that could severely restrict the service was launched last week.

The letter said: “We are worried by Transport for London’s proposed regulations on Uber. Red tape will hit Londoners who want to get a taxi without paying the higher prices that black cab regulation generates… We are sympathetic to black cab drivers who feel TfL’s existing regulations are onerous. The answer is to cut black cab red tape and leave Uber alone.”

It was signed by seven councillors: Paul Church of West End ward, Thomas Crockett of Maida Vale, Peter Cuthbertson of Tachbrook, Tony Devenish of Knights­bridge & Belgravia, JP Floru of Hyde Park, Richard Holloway of Bayswater and Gotz Mohindra of Regent’s Park.

Taxi driver activists respon­ded online with outrage warn­ing that “these seven Tory Boy councillors think London’s iconic taxi trade should be reduced to licensing drivers with dubious pasts” and “vehicles not suitable for disabled passengers”. Others tweeted “it’s nice to see that members of this trade are realis­ing what the Tories really want”.

It comes in the week cabbies staged a protest outside the HQ of Transport for London in Victoria and the legality of the Uber minicab service was challenged in the High Court.

The United Cabbies Group staged the drum-banging protest for 30 minutes outside Windsor House in Victoria on Monday afternoon.

There was criticism from some taxi drivers about the lawyers. They said Uber was given a soft ride by barristers.

TfL’s case is that Uber minicabs “ply for hire”, which is against the laws governing the industry, by using smartphones as “taximeters”. Meters are only legal in black cabs under laws regulating private hire vehicles.

A judge listened to the arguments for just one of the allotted two days, before announcing he would reserve his judgment until a later date.

In an unusually timed intervention, on the day before a legal hearing, London Mayor Boris Johnson wrote in a Sunday newspaper column that his view was the service was effectively breaking the law. He said: “At present that law is being systematically broken – or at least circumvented – by the use of the Uber app.”

TfL has opened a consultation on changes that could seriously curb the Uber service in the capital.

In a statement Isabel Dedring, deputy mayor for transport, said the proposals were aimed at updating the regulations rather than curbing one company or the other.

She said: “It is basic things like making sure that people have the right insurance at the right time in order to protect passengers in the vehicle.”

On the protest, the Metropolitan Police said they closed roads and imposed conditions. Commander BJ Harrington said: “Victoria Street and the surrounding area is a busy traffic route and we believe if the proposed procession went ahead without conditions it would result in serious disruption.”

source: http://www.westendextra.com/borisuber

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