Taxi Driver Online

Uber driver licence standards should be made national, say MPs

A group of more than two dozen cross-party MPs have called on the government to introduce new rules controlling the licensing of drivers for Uber and other minicab services with new national standards. Labour's Wes Streeting and Jess Philips, and Green Party leader Caroline Lucas are among the 25 MPs to sign a letter to transport secretary Chris Grayling urging a new definition for cross-border hiring, along with taxi companies Gett and MyTaxi, the LTDA taxi union and the company making London's newest electric black cabs.

Currently drivers can gain a licence in one area and work in another, something they claim is putting passengers at risk. Data from Transport for London (TfL) identified 177 drivers licensed in London registered to postcodes in Sheffield earlier this year, while drivers in Southend who had their licence revoked were found to be using ones gained from TfL.

Now the MPs, part of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on taxis, wants national standards for drivers to be introduced which would bring and end to the practice.

“The current system where a driver can lose a licence in one part of the country and simply get one by tapping up another council is playing fast and loose with passenger safety," said Streeting. "The safety of passengers should be the cornerstone of licensing. That’s why we’re calling for a statutory definition on cross border hiring which will effectively stamp out this dangerous practice, alongside national minimum standards so when a passenger gets into a vehicle- wherever they are - they know they are safe.”

The call comes as Uber fights for permission to operate in London. TfL said it would not renew its licence due to safety concerns. Uber's appeal against the decision is due to be heard next year while it continues talks with the regulator.

Uber has previously said that it would welcome a national register as a first step in "a more joined up approach" and has introduced new processes for keeping tabs on local licencing decisions. “An increase in app-based taxi and PHV services coupled with out of date legislation has contributed to a rise in cross-border hiring," said MyTaxi general manager Andy Batty. “MyTaxi, is calling on government to legislate for a legal definition of cross-border hiring, which will give both passengers and regulators certainty of the standards of drivers in their area.”

The government has indicated that it's considering new rules. “I think the system is being gamed,” said transport minister John Hayes over the summer, adding that it “can’t be right” that local rules can be undermined by more permissive neighbouring regimes. “I want greater consistency in the way licenses are issued,” he said.

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IDFIMH

with out of date legislation

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Be easier making UBER conform to the rules of the areas they are licensed in instead of dragging everyone else down to the level they would like....since when does the likes of UBER dictate lisensing law levels?

because they are the single largest contributor to tory party funds within the trade as a whole

Politics worldwide is a case of the biggest wad of cash= most influence

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

I remember going to a couple of meetings with the LPHCA a few years back when the current rules were being discussed and the question of national standards was raised. In my view it is not impossible, after all the bus industry has to agree not only to national standards but international standards for not only vehicles but drivers and their management too. It isn't rocket science.

It makes me laugh when they state that out-of-date laws are the cause of their problems, when in fact the old out-of-date laws stopped it from happening. If you look at the sequence of events that lead up to where we are now you will see 1) the Conservative party a few years back suddenly started getting hefty donations from A.Lee private hire, and then 2) the Ministry for Transport decided that it would be best for the Law Commission to hold an enquiry with the purpose of bringing our rules and regs up to date. 3) And guess what? after many hundreds of thousands of pounds being spent, the rules they want to change are the rules that give Uber and the like the ability to work from one end of the country to the other, sidestepping local licencing authorities, and taking ph back to where they were before the 1976 Act came in. 4) The recommendations made by the Law Commission and acted upon by the persons responsible for their inclusion in the de-regulation act are now responsible for the situation that London and local councils find themselves in. It's almost as if a group of people have been playing a game of chess moving their pieces into the correct position for their next move. Where will Uber finally makes its fortune for it backers? The day it is floated on the stock market and shares are sold. In the meantime investment money invested in Uber is a nice little tax loss. 5) Call me an old sceptic but I would be interested to know who the chess masters are.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I suspect you've hit the nail on the head there Mr.T. But as usual the sheeple can't see it. I hope investors lose millions over it. This sort of business simply isn't sustainable in the long term.

A national license would be ok if the entry criteria was of a good standard, which would include a local knowledge in the area to which you live in.

But I suspect the entry criteria will be set at the bottom of the barrel level.

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IDFIMH

So you would be happy for Sefton P/h working in Brighton.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

If all vehicles and drivers are tested to a national standard, why would there be a problem? It's what the bus and lorry industries have. there's good and bad drivers there and there are good and bad operators there as well. The bad get hassle from the VOSA/DVLA/whatever they're called this week, with the ultimate threat of a Public Inquiry where all their dirty linen will be washed in public with loss of licence a real threat.

If all vehicles and drivers are tested to a national standard, why would there be a problem? It's what the bus and lorry industries have. there's good and bad drivers there and there are good and bad operators there as well. The bad get hassle from the VOSA/DVLA/whatever they're called this week, with the ultimate threat of a Public Inquiry where all their dirty linen will be washed in public with loss of licence a real threat.

They do already, and I'm not.

However they don't live in Sefton, they currently live in their cars.

Uber has been very successful in licensing drivers quite content to live a third world lifestyle.

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IDFIMH

this is about driver licenses NOT vehicle licenses and I suspect may be more about putting licensing under the control of a private firm rather than enforcing a standard on councils at a national level

This could potentially hand the control of licensing over to a company like serco or G4S

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

Because we are not bus drivers working, in the main, on a fixed route.

Licensed taxi/PH drivers should have a knowledge of the area in which they predominately work.

Having taxi/PH drivers who actually know where they are going is a basic requirement of the trade in my view. Not a bonus.

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IDFIMH

The real problem is lack of ENFORCEMENT by all Councils.
Traffic Commissioners work by the rule book,they would stopped U*** from working anywhere and would have held a public inquiry.
Councils do not have the bottle in some areas to enforce decisions taken in the PUBLIC SAFETY interest that other Councils have.
If a driver license is revoked in one Authority that must stand in every Authority.
If an operator is "not fit and proper" in one Authority that must stand in every Authority.