Taxi Driver Online

TfL accused of fostering 'brutal exploitation' of minicab drivers

Report says Transport for London has failed to get to grips with implications for drivers of private hire apps such as Uber

Minicab drivers have accused Transport for London, which licenses their trade, of tacitly encouraging the “brutal exploitation” of drivers by digital private hire firms such as Uber.

The report published by United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD), a minicab drivers’ union, and Networked Rights, a non-profit organisation that researches exploitation in the sharing economy, says TfL has failed to get to grips with the emergence of private-hire apps and their implications for drivers’ wellbeing.

It claims that four out of five UPHD members can no longer earn enough to support their families despite working full-time, and nearly three out of five have been racially abused while on the job. Nine out of 10 drivers believe TfL does nothing to protect them from exploitation.

Yaseen Aslam, UPHD’s founder, said a combination of low pay and exploitative conditions had left his members facing a winter crisis.

Drivers “are telling us their employment and income has never been more insecure and are met by a cruel and indifferent regulator”, he said. “We urgently need change at TfL if we are to protect public safety as well as the rights and welfare of some of London’s poorest workers.”

James Farrar of Networked Rights said that virtualisation in the minicab trade was shifting all the risk of the business on to drivers and away from operators, a situation made worse by TfL’s refusal to put a cap on the number of minicab licences issued.

There are nearly 112,000 licensed minicab drivers in London, and competition is forcing prices down while operators continue to profit from the commissions levied on the increased number of transactions, Farrar said.

“We are seeing a price war going on at the moment, but the cost of that price war is not being borne by the operators, it’s borne by the drivers. And of course, TfL is also collecting a windfall in licence fee income from drivers as well,” he said.

All prospective private-hire taxi drivers in London could face written English test

“The number of licences has doubled in London in the past three years or so, and TfL are putting on about 1,000 new licences every month.”

The joint report calls on the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to agree to a 10-point plan to solve the problems facing minicab drivers, including the enforcement of “fit and proper” requirements for multinational operators, a cap on the number of private hire licences and an end to proposals to criminalise ply trade, where cab drivers pick up fares from the street.

It also calls for an end to plans to introduce “discriminatory” written English tests for drivers. “What’s particularly cruel is that TfL is licensing out of control, and they’re refusing to grandfather rights in for guys,” Farrar said.

“That means there are a lot of guys now sweating it out, worried that they will lose their licence at the point of renewal if they can’t pass this damn test. That would leave them not only out of a job, but with stranded assets. What about guys who have invested 60 grand into a Mercedes E Class and now can’t work? That’s a stranded asset.”

The Guardian has contacted TfL for comment.

source: posting.php?mode=post&f=2

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Tozzers this lot and they aint a Union .

Strict English tests for Drivers is the way forward, plus rigorous "fit and proper" requirements.

Stranded assets so what you fookin grovellers you aint happy go on strike ffs thay make me want to SPEW

GROVELL GROVELL GROVELL LICKSPITTLE BURKES

Criminalise the ply trade ie TOUTING should happen one conviction and your banned for life are this shower kkunts serious

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

that is the point TT councils don't give a flying F about the drivers they are ONLY interested in their (cut) fees and making sure their own workers get a descent wage and pensions

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

I'm not sure that one big firm gobbling up the competition is going to be good for the drivers in the long term as it will make it more difficult for a driver to tell them to shove their radio if they don't think there getting a fair crack of the whip as essentially they become the only game in town and it would be naive to think they will not exploit that position to enrich themselves at the drivers expense.

Oops have posted to wrong thread

pmsl yep

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

They should be demanding to be made employees

They are but only the government can effect that because for one firm to do it unilaterally would be commercial suicide

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

Edders you know i enjoy the banter with you but clearly you have no understanding of the situation in London, lets get it straight the GLA has no interest financially in the income from licensing except to ensure it covers the costs of the Licensing regime, as for ensuring their employees workers get a DECENT WAGE maybe under a Labour Mayor who will be sponsored by some Trade Unions he will naturally have concerns. under a Tory of course that will be the opposite.Naturally the workers at the GLA are virtually 100% Union members and negotiate good terms and conditions[ theres a lesson there for many i would have thought] so far without the need for industrial action although the threat has been made.

the problems within the PH industry are of course very many the most prolific being many many thousands of drivers who are unable to communicate fluently in ENGLISH be it written or verbal, this SCAB outfit wishes to protect those Drivers naturally the indigenous population are of a contrary view the proprietors of course couldnt care a less Drivers to them are RENTS there to be swindeld and cheated at their whim, obviously its in the interest of the indigenous Drivers to UP the requirements for Drivers in the industry and where necessary to enforce Grandfather rights as was done years ago BY ME. The proprietors are mostly dishonest exploitative lying crooks who routinely corrupt the TOP TEST Drivers are required to take in order to increase their numbers of RENTS [it is the norm for new Drivers to be told take your TOP TEST here and we will pass you without any problem so long as you stay with us and work x number of hours and these days ie a shift pattern immediately rendering the Driver to be "WORKER UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE COMPANY" ] T HE WHOLE SYSTEM IS TOTALLY CORRUPT AND THIS SCAB OUTFIT UPHD IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW UNQUALIFIED ILLITERATE NOT CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKED DRIVERS UNFETTERD ACCESS TO THE INDUSTRY ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,THEY WILL BE STOPPED if not by the GMB by the Mayor under pressure from UNITE and the RMT,

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Trots you were very pro uber at the beginning, if I remember your words were something like more power to the drivers and less to the circuit owners, obviously any one could see that uber were going to exploit there drivers, and they have to an even greater degree than the circuit owners ever did, so I'm surprised that you have changed your position ......

To me its all down to driver choice.

The more choice they have the better, and Uber has offered them another option.

Now I think Uber hasn't got a long term future, so the chances of me ever joining them are less than zero. But that's my choice.

Others may look at things differently.

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IDFIMH

In all areas of business the winners are always the ones with the deepest pockets that can see off their rivals through sheer financial muscle so who has the deepest pockets in the taxi/PH trade ?

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

When you say 'indigenous population' and 'indigenous drivers' what do you mean exactly?

As you well know, enhanced DBS checks are required for all licensed drivers and UPHD will always insist upon that standard.

Not exactly correct.

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Grandad,

indigenous was i thought obvious otherwise try a dictionary

Enhanced DBs checks for all drivers bollox as you well know Drivers from eastern Europe cannot be checked to the same standards as the indigenous Drivers ie those that have been resident here for all their lives, double standards for sure

glad to see your prepared to have a knuckle maybe your tactics need fine tuning ??

Whats your view of the GMBPDB?

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Quite right, but many, including me, have concerns that proper checks cannot be undertaken on people who's history cannot be checked because they have come from places that don't have records.

Doesn't automatically make them bad folks, but only the naive or those trying to create a false impression make the statement above that you just have.

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IDFIMH