Taxi Driver Online

You wait at least two days for a cross-border article, and two come along at once

And I think there's at least one previous thread from here. But a bit of wishful thinking going on below, I suspect


Uber must follow rules before it can operate in Reading

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news ... e-reading/

Uber should follow the rules other taxi companies abide by if it is allowed to operate in Reading, a representative of the industry has said.

The ridesharing giant Uber announced that it was in the process of applying to operate in the town from Reading Borough Council.

The company is applying for a licence as a private hire taxi operator, meaning journeys must be pre-booked from its app.

Private hire drivers are not allowed to take passengers 'on the spot' like black cab 'hackney' carriage' drivers are allowed to in Reading.

Some private hire drivers have expressed support for Uber coming to Reading, arguing that allowing them to use the app will make them more competitive.

Now, a representation of the private hire taxi industry has weighed in.

Sikandar Hayat, the chairman of the Reading Private Hire Association (RPHA), has argued that Uber should only be allowed if it follows the council's rules.

He said: “It’s up to the council.

“We, as private hire drivers and operators, represent both, operators have their concerns about Uber.

“We, as an association, think it’ll be fair if they follow the rules.

“For example, other operators work by providing drivers and customers access to the system; we have a 24-hour telephone system, and customers have direct access to offices. If Uber can comply with these conditions, that’s ok.

“Most of the drivers are concerned that if the rules change, they may not get the same care they expect."

Mr Hayat added that he is in regular communication and discussions with the council's licensing team.

He said: "I don’t think it’s a major problem if Reading council don’t bend any rules for them [Uber].

"The rules are for everyone.

“You can’t just change the rules for them, they have to follow the rules.”

Uber was refused a licence to operate in Reading in 2016 because it refused to have a staffed office in Reading to deal with customer bookings and complaints, and inspection and enforcement visits from council enforcement officers.

Mr Hayat suggested that Uber should introduce zoning restrictions in the town on its app to tackle the issue of drivers with Uber licences from other boroughs taking trade from Reading drivers.

He explained: “If Reading drivers get the work, it’s ok for us, if they [Uber] don’t follow the rules, if they don’t have a contact system, that is an issue."

Mr Hayat is a director of the Prompt Cars company.

He said: “We make sure drivers and passengers are safe.

"We're responsive. If there is an issue, emails can take days to reply – it’s not fair on the drivers. Uber replies whenever they like.”

Uber does have email addresses and phone numbers for both customer and driver issues, which can be found online.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Uber to clarify its office policy and whether it implements zoning, but has not received a reply.

Chances of that? 0


Seems to be trying to say that if Uber use cross-border cars they're breaking the rules. That maybe impresses the average reader of the Reading Chronicle, but in terms of the actual law it's an irrelevance