Taxi Driver Online

More utter nonsense from Unite, months after this whole thing seemed to have been forgotten about.

The Casey audit gets a mention, so no doubt they think the likes of that and all that's going on will change things.

Which is fair enough, and there's a compelling argument to be made.

But they're still trying to say that Uber is licensed in some unique way that the rest of the country isn't subject to, and that Uber isn't private hire, essentially.

Not sure if Unite here just being disingenuous to make their case, or just don't know the rules, like the GMB re Wolverhampton yesterday


Gatwick taxi drivers protest at Uber swerving licensing laws and crippling trade

https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-even ... ling-trade

Protest launches major Unite campaign targeting Gatwick and Uber for undercutting local drivers

Gatwick taxi drivers will stage a protest at the airport tomorrow over Uber’s swerving of licensing laws that is crippling local trade, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today.

When: 08:00 hrs, Thursday 9 October 2025
Where: Gatwick South Terminal roundabout, RH6 0NP

Uber has an unfair advantage over Crawley’s private hire taxis because it can circumvent the local authority’s licensing laws, resulting in Uber cars registered in London entering the town and waiting for passengers. Private hire taxis, on the other hand, cannot pick up fares outside of their licensing areas unless they have been pre-booked.

The situation has led to an in-flux of London-based Uber cars into Crawley which are then parking up to poach private hire car business. Uber’s growing encroachment into Crawley’s taxi sector is damaging livelihoods and undermining the local economy, which is heavily dependent on Gatwick.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Gatwick is disgracing itself by partnering with a race-to-the-bottom firm like Uber, which is destroying local livelihoods and damaging Crawley’s economy. Unite will not rest until Gatwick takes action to address our members’ concerns.

“Nor can the government continue to sit on the sidelines – Uber’s sidestepping of local licensing laws is hurting workers and putting passengers at risk across the country. Ministers need to close the loopholes in the legislation.”

Gatwick bosses have actively encouraged the attack on local taxi driver livelihoods by partnering with Uber and advertising and facilitating access to its services at the airport.

The protest launches a new Unite campaign to force Gatwick to ensure local drivers are not put at an unfair disadvantage by Uber. As well as actions to pressure Gatwick and Uber, the union is also demanding government implement the recommendations of the Casey Report to strengthen weak council taxi licensing laws that Uber is taking advantage of.

ENDS

For media enquires ONLY contact senior Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215 or 020 3371 2065.

Email: ryan.fletcher@unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.

The My London website has done a piece based on the above, and also usefully summarises how the whole thing was put on hold last time round, after dozens of articles and a council probe etc.

Nothing will change now unless and until Parliament changes the legislation, which obviously won't happen overnight

Gatwick cars are a premium service, positioned between normal and executive; therefore, everyone who doesn't run a super deluxe executive car will undercut them. Both locally and South East wide.

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IDFIMH

Far be it from me to defend Uber, but the London PH I see picking up are of a good standard, and most of those that they pick up will be going up the road to London, which is only 13 miles up the road.

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IDFIMH

I kind of agree, to a degree, with what is being said above.

For years Gatwick Cars have spent a large fortune paying for the rights to pick up just outside the terminals. However, the greedy airport owners have now also taken wads of cash from Uber, enabling Uber to have designated pick-up bays in the very nearby carparks, with huge signage in the terminals pointing the way to the Uber 'ranks'.

I'm at Gatwick all the time, and I often see up to 100 people waiting at the Uber 'ranks'. Now, not all of those would have used Gatwick Cars, but quite a number would have in the past.

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IDFIMH