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PostPosted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:23 am 
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One in 100 workers in England is now driving a minicab or taxi as number of motorists taking fares soars 50 per cent since mid-2000s thanks to Uber revolution

The rise of Uber has seen the number of minicabs in the UK soar since the 2000s
There are 362,600 licensed drivers of taxis or private hire vehicles in England
The figures represent a rise of 50 per cent since the mid-2000s, the data shows
Launched in 2012 Uber allows drivers to choose their own hours and passengers


One in every 100 workers in England is now driving a minicab or taxi following the Uber revolution, government figures suggest.

There are now some 362,600 licensed drivers of taxis or private hire vehicles on English roads, a rise of 50 per cent since the mid-2000s, the data shows.

The rise comes despite concerns over the gig economy and zero-hours contracts, and is believed to be fueled by the rise in popularity of minicab apps such as Uber, which allow drivers freedom to choose their own hours and passengers.

Figures suggest the increase is based on minicabs booked in advance via online apps or over the phone, as opposed to taxi cabs hailed on the street, which has seen an overall decrease in the past year.

Uber, launched in 2012, allows drivers who use the app to log on or off whenever convenient and drive at hours that suit them, making it a popular method of adding a second source of income to households.

The one in 100 statistic comes as separate date shows the working-age population to be about 34.3 million, The Times reported.

Despite the income boost to drivers, critics point to the rise in congestion and pollution following the minicab boon.

London mayor Sadiq Khan announced that all minicab drivers would be forced to pay congestion charges and the daily ultra-low emission zone fee to operate in central London.

Figures suggest the increase is based on minicabs booked in advance via online apps or over the phone, as opposed to taxi cabs hailed on the street, which has seen an overall decrease in the past year

The figures come after the government commissioned a review into the industry amid concerns over regulation.

In 2017, Transport for London withdrew Uber's licence over fears about passenger safety and driver vetting.

Nearly 1 million people signed a petition demanding the decision be reversed, forcing TfL to give the American firm a 15-month licence, which was extended this week until the end of November. Uber says that it has increased safety features and better protections for drivers.

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, said yesterday: 'The number of private hire vehicles across the country is a major problem.

'Most of the drivers are earning less than minimum wage and having to work extraordinarily long hours to keep the wolf from the door. 'Report after report has also identified how private hire vehicles, particularly in London, are a major cause of congestion.'

Most popular jobs

Shop assistant 1,079,000

Care worker 759,000

Nurse 639,000

Cleaner 575,000

Catering assistant 507,000

Warehouse worker 488,000

Sales and accounts 459,000

Book-keeping 434,000

Primary teacher 425,000

Secondary teacher 382,000

Taxi driver 363,000*

ONS April-June 2018.

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:39 am 
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For those of us that love stats there are plenty to be found here.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collectio ... statistics

Interesting one is that basically the number of taxis in England and Wales, and the number of PH in London, have remained much the same over the last year, However the number of PH in England and Wales outside of London has increased by about 10,000.

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:40 am 
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From the bullet-point sub-headings at the top of the page I'm assuming this is from the Daily Mail, which tends to use that format?

Therefore glad I didn't read that, because I've just read the same article in the Times, which the Mail has simply rehashed:

The Daily Mail (presumably) wrote:
The one in 100 statistic comes as separate date shows the working-age population to be about 34.3 million, The Times reported.
[-(


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:57 am 
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Quote:
the Mail has simply rehashed

But the Mail doesn't have a paywall.

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 11:30 am 
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Sussex wrote:
Quote:
the Mail has simply rehashed

But the Mail doesn't have a paywall.

If you register you get a couple of free articles per week :-o


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:12 pm 
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StuartW wrote:
If you register you get a couple of free articles per week :-o

We don't need to, you did already!

=D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 11:01 pm 
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If som of those new drivers wanted decnet money with fairly flexible hours, maybe they could consider bus or lorry driving? At least they're more or less guaranteed a certain amount every week, get holiday pay, employers pension etc. They just can't take the company car home!

There's a shortgae of bout 38,000 bus drivers and 40-odd thousand lorry drivers at the moment.

The figures shown in the OP's article could account for the reported rise in paid employment, especially if all the new PH drivers are on zero hours and PH driving is a second job. Most new jobs are zero hours anyway.


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