Taxi firms call for Uber's licence to be revoked for breaches of city agreementTAXI firms have called for Uber’s licence to operate in Brighton and Hove to be revoked.
Taxi drivers claim Uber drivers are illegally using taxi ranks to pick up customers while less than a quarter of the company’s drivers are licensed in the city.
It is also claimed that Uber drivers are obtaining licences from councils with lower standards hundreds of miles away to operate in Brighton and Hove.
Rising tension between Uber and taxi drivers boiled over this month with police investigating a scuffle at a taxi rank.
Uber said the taxi drivers’ complaints were based on city firms' fear of competition and claimed its drivers had faced intimidation and abuse.
The firm was granted a licence in October 2015 and began operating in the city 12 months later.
Within a month, licensing chairwoman Jackie O'Quinn called for a meeting with Uber in response to the number of Transport for London (TfL) licensed taxi drivers operating in the city.
She said the firm only received the licence to operate in the city on the grounds that they would use Brighton and Hove licensed drivers.
A taxi drivers’ forum will be held today [Wednesday] with bosses calling for their licence to be revoked and TfL inspectors to enforce regulations against Uber drivers because the city council’s enforcement team is powerless to intervene.
John Streeter, of Streamline Taxis, said: "We want the council to revoke their licence until they stand by their commitment to use Brighton and Hove licensed taxi drivers.
"They are not a fit and proper company to hold a licence.
"We don’t mind competition but it has to be a fair playing field.
"What Uber drivers are doing is going to the cheapest councils with the lowest standards in the country to get a licence even though they have no intention of operating there.
"We have got the highest standards of anywhere in the country and we don’t want them to drop."
An Uber spokesman said: “Since launching in Brighton we have been blown away with the demand we’ve seen for Uber, and more Brighton and Hove licensed private hire drivers are signing up to the app every week to help meet this demand.
"We have a good relationship with the council and have met the licensing committee who are happy with the way we’re operating under the conditions of our license.
"Uber is attending the meeting to discuss the intimidation and violence some drivers using our app have received in the city.”
A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said: "Taxi licensing officers are currently investigating complaints of vehicles other than Hackney Carriages parking on ranks and enforcement action will be taken in accordance with the council’s enforcement policy.
"The situation is being monitored. Uber was given a licence for a period of one year to enable the authority to monitor their operation."
source:
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/14979079 ... agreement/
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