Taxi Driver Online

Uber's York licence to be reviewed, as complaints log is revealed

UBER drivers are coming from Leeds, Bradford and London to work in York, according to a council report.

City of York Council has received 72 complaints about Uber’s vehicles and drivers since the app-based service was allowed to operate in the city four months ago.

A union representing local drivers has now urged city leaders to rescind Uber's licence, when it comes up for renewal later this month.

The company operates in 536 countries and works by customers ordering a taxi to their location on their smartphone.

It has proved controversial in other UK cities and York is no exception.

Thirty one complaints have been made about vehicles coming into the city from elsewhere, however investigations found 24 of the complaints were unfounded or could not be fully investigated due to insufficient evidence.

A council report said drivers of vehicles licensed by authorities in Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees and London appeared to have chosen to work in York.

Uber was reported 23 times for plying for hire - the process of a private hire car picking up passengers who flag them down instead of booking them - but 22 cases were deemed unfounded or could not be pursued.

Picking up people illegally means passengers would not be insured if the driver was involved in a crash.

Other complaints range from Uber cars not having the correct door signs and licence plates to no insurance and smoking in the cab.

Councillors will meet next week to discuss renewing the firm’s licence, which expires on Christmas Eve, but is facing strong calls from the GMB union to rescind it.

GMB, the trade union for Hackney and Private Hire drivers, met with Rachael Maskell MP, for York Central, on Friday.

Bill Chard, speaking on behalf of the GMB’s Professional Drivers’ Section, said: “These drivers have no connection with, and are not controlled or managed by City of York Council.

“GMB calls upon the council to withdraw Uber’s licence as they have proved that they are neither fit nor capable of operating safely in the city.

“GMB would like the council to confirm whether Uber’s operating licence was given on the basis of six licensed vehicles.”

A spokesman for Uber said: “Uber is fully licensed in York and abides by the same rules and regulations as other operators in the City.

"Uber is also licensed in surrounding areas and licensed private-hire drivers are not restricted from carrying out bookings in other areas provided the operator, driver and vehicle are properly licensed. Uber only uses licensed drivers and vehicles under its operating licences, and therefore such bookings are not illegal.

“York licensed drivers booked by other York private hire operators are also able to carry out booking in other areas, for instance picking up bookings from Selby.”

source: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/1497251 ... ref=twtrec

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

There are 196 countries in the world. What planet are uber on?

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Former taxi driver

I think they mean Cities.

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Grandad,

I know a driver licenced Wirral that works Manchester all the time. York is not unique unfortunately

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

City of York Council has received 72 complaints about Uber’s vehicles and drivers since the app-based service was allowed to operate in the city four months ago.

A union representing local drivers has now urged city leaders to rescind Uber's licence, when it comes up for renewal later this month.


why is the license for 5 months ?

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

Does the operator have to prove they have "the right to work" in York.
All York licensed operators and drivers have to prove that they have "the right to work"

I am of the opinion that an american organisation cannot prove it has "the right to work" under the issued guidance to Licensing Authorities on the Immigration Act.

I am not sure that the organisation is working. Company's don't work. People work so it would be the employees that would need to have the right to work here.
There are hundreds if not thousands of non EU company's that carry out business in the UK.

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Grandad,

All these EU companies you refer to are not license holders in the TAXI or private hire trade and as such are not required to adhere to the same rules as us.(again equality only applies in certain cases)

There has to be a person named to enable a license to be issued as an operator of private hire vehicles,that person is directly responsible for every event in Law.

It would be interesting to see who is the holder of all these operator licenses,not forgetting they have been refused to be granted a license by some Authorities.

All the information regarding the license holder should be available from the licensing authority concerned. I would guess that everyone of them is either a British citizen or an EU citizen.

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Grandad,

The company operates in 536 countries and works by customers ordering a taxi to their location on their smartphone.

well we all know uber respect no laws or international boundaries so perhaps this their plan for world domination split it up into smaller more oppressible units

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

How exactly will that help, drivers will still come from outside the area for work if there is work available

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

In the minds of some it will work, sadly with a cloud it wont.

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