Blackpool Uber protest brings seaside town to standstill as taxi drivers make a standhttps://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire- ... e-29343083Taxis brought traffic to a halt in Blackpool today (June 12), in protest against what they say are illegal and unfair actions by Uber drivers operating in the town.
Talbot Road was at a standstill between 10am and 12pm as several vehicles parked across the carriageway, making it impossible for other drivers and public transport to pass. The cabbies were protesting against the presence of the US firm in the resort - which they say is operating without a licence.
They also claim its drivers have been illegally using taxi ranks which have been designated for Hackney carriages. It is also feared some of the influx of drivers from other towns may not be insured to carry drivers.
It is feared their operation causes a risk to the public.
Blackpool Council has also confirmed it is seeking legal advice regarding the operation of Uber vehicles in the town. It confirmed the US tech giant is not currently licensed by Blackpool Council.
In a statement to LancsLive, the authority stated it intended to deal with the issue 'robustly'.
Earlier this month, Chris Webb, who will again be Labour's candidate to be MP for Blackpool South, raised the issue on May 16 as his first question in the House of Commons. He has also held a meeting with Uber, in which the firm said it is open to blocking its drivers from picking up in Blackpool taxi ranks
Uber also said it will establish lines of communication with Blackpool’s licensing team to facilitate the reporting of any illegal activity by its drivers.
Today, Uber told LancsLive they are operating legally in Blackpool with licenses obtained from different areas of the UK. However, they are currently applying for licenses in different cities across the country.
They also said its drivers were blocked from accepting rides from areas such as designated taxi bays.
But following the protest, drivers told LancsLive they have collected thousands of pieces of evidence of wrongdoing by Uber drivers in the town.
Others revealed they struggled to compete financially with drivers backed by the Uber app. One said: "We can't compete with those fares. For instance, here it's a £10 charge to the Pleasure Beach, say for a family of six. That's not bad value really, it might be for a lot of people but it's cheaper than a bus or the tram, it's £2 each or whatever and they're doing it for a fiver!
"There's just so many of them and they're flooding the market."
Another added: "Ideally we want them out of Blackpool [Uber], but if they've got to be here then they need regulating. Nobody's policing it."
A spokesperson for Blackpool Taxi Association said: "The Blackpool Taxi Association acknowledges action taken by some of its members and the wider trade in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. Whilst this action was not organised by the association, we support the drivers in their protest against the inactivity of Blackpool Council on this issue.
"The council have repeatedly informed us that no enforcement will be taken against the illegal actions of out of town licenced taxis and private hire vehicles. This is unacceptable and causes a risk to the public as they are not insured for their journey in a lot of cases and we even have evidence of drivers not being licenced themselves, using another person's licence. We have sent numerous pieces of this evidence to Blackpool Council and they are simply not interested."
A council spokesperson said: "Taxi operators have alerted us to instances of Uber drivers operating in Blackpool and their concerns around this. The safety of our residents and visitors is always our priority. Uber is not licensed by Blackpool Council currently. We are seeking legal opinion in relation to this matter, as we are conscious that the legal framework around taxi legislation is outdated and requires review.
"This is not a situation that is unique to Blackpool. We are speaking to the Local Government Association as well as our neighbouring authorities to ensure we deal with this robustly."
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. We look to provide the best possible experience for passengers and engage closely with councils across the country. Uber also leads the industry in providing every driver a pension, holiday pay and sickness protection, which almost all local minicab firms do not."