TfL denied Uber operator license, ride hailing service wins on appeal (Sept 2020)

[DotCommunist]

can those expressing concern for the drivers point me to thier previous statements regarding those workers pay, conditions and lack of rights? I mean I wouldn't want to think its crocodile tears to cover how annoyed you are that a gig economy staple is temporarily set back.

 

[cantsin]

I predict that the matter will be resolved before the end of the month,.

and is no doubt subject to appeal, so nothing will change until appeal

 

[Reiabuzz]

No. They never quite did it. Already been eaten by one of the other cab firms haven't they? A new firm.

Yep, the dudes behind it took the money and ran.

 

[Lambert Simnel]

Give me Uber over a self-employed black cabbie any day. The driver is far less likely to be some sort of cunt.

 

[UrbaneFox]

At least Uber drivers can go home when they like and don't have some demented stressed controller urging them to keep working when they want to go home.

Au contraire, see #67.

 

[ffsear]

they're not just in charge of cabs, so if you don't want to be ripped off and you're able bodied enough to get the bus or luggage free, then that's an option

 

[cupid_stunt]

Erm, can nobody else see the blatant conflict of interest here from TfL? Why isn’t an independent body in charge of these decisions? These guys run the black cabs.

This safety bullshit is just that. We all knows it’s about a cartel protecting their own and getting away with ripping off the rest of us. Fucking absurd.

As others have pointed out TfL doesn't run black cabs, just licence them. TfL are an independent body in charge of licensing public transport.

If Uber's licence had been renewed for 5-years the fee was going up from around £3k to around £3m, so TfL has taken a big hit on this, in revenue terms.

 

[YouSir]

I don't really get the comparison between Uber and black cabs, were they really in competition all that much? Of the few people I know who use Uber none of them ever got black cabs, couldn't afford them plus even these days you only see the odd one down SE.

 

[Crispy]

The last thing Uber wants is drivers anyway. They're running a massive loss, in the hope that self-driving cars become a reality before the money runs out, and then boom! Instant profitability and no more pesky employment law to ignore.

 

[maomao]

Uber drivers can't stop working when they feel like it. If a customer in London wants to go to Aberdeen airport they have to take the job or never work for Uber again. Good riddance. The fares would have gone up massively when black cabs had been forced out of business.

Not true. They probably have a direction set in the first place so wouldn't be given such a big job unless they were up for it. If they were and they didn't want it they could force cancel which only counts against them if they do regularly. 15 years in the industry the longest passenger job I've seen was North Yorks and 90% of drivers would bite my arm of for that even near the end of shift.

 

[UrbaneFox]

Ah

 

[Spymaster]

I don't really get the comparison between Uber and black cabs, were they really in competition all that much?

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

If it stops people from saying that they'll 'get an uber' instead of a cab, I'm all for it. Fucking tossrags with their buckets of coffee and their sodding ubers, playing the I'm urbane and alive game, fuck the lot of 'em.

 

[Teaboy]

I don't care much one way or the other, although losing Uber Eats will be a bit of a ball ache because they're the only outfit who deliver McDonalds round our way.

Hmmm, this puts a different angle on things. Maybe give Sadiq a call and explain your predicament. He might change his mind.

 

[Orang Utan]

I just feel strongly that more people should use the bus, to ensure the service continues. Bus services in London are great. You don't know how lucky you are to have a decent bus service.

 

[DotCommunist]

I just feel strongly that more people should use the bus, to ensure the service continues. Bus services in London are great. You don't know how lucky you are to have a decent bus service.

concessions for those on the rock/old well, decent concessions.
Round here they'll charge you kids fare for the dog, tightwads

 

[Pickman's model]

My mate who's a cabbie will be chuffed

 

[bimble]

i was in a black cab couple of weeks ago (please do not shout at me this is not my usual way of getting around town). Asked the driver how's business, expecting him to say things were a bit shit and instead he said never been better, how he thinks his is the best job in the world, he was playing golf that morning had a leisurely lunch etc.
He said that uber was a bit of a wobble when it was new but not an issue anymore far as he can tell, he said people have started using black cabs again at the same levels they were before the novelty of uber appeared . That's just one bloke's take on it though obvs.

 

[Orang Utan]

concessions for those on the rock/old well, decent concessions.
Round here they'll charge you kids fare for the dog, tightwads

I wasn't aware there were concessions for those on the dole. If there are, I have wasted a lot of money.

 

[Reiabuzz]

As others have pointed out TfL doesn't run black cabs, just licence them. TfL are an independent body in charge of licensing public transport.

If Uber's licence had been renewed for 5-years the fee was going up from around £3k to around £3m, so TfL has taken a big hit on this, in revenue terms.

The naïveté. Go and sit in the highly subsided TfL cafe at their head office on Victoria st for lunch. It’s dominated by black cab drivers.

 

[gawkrodger]

interesting statement from the IWGB

Our reaction to TfL's decision today to revoke #Uber's license:

James Farrar, co-claimant in landmark employment tribunal decision against Uber and chair of the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain's (IWGB) United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD) branch said:

"This is a devastating blow for 30,000 Londoners who now face losing their job and being saddled with unmanageable vehicle related debt.To strip Uber of it's license after five years of laissez faire regulation is a testament to a systemic failure at TfL. Rather than banish Uber, TfL should have strengthened its regulatory oversight, curbed runaway licensing and protected the worker rights of drivers. The Mayor must call for an urgent independent review of TfL to identify the causes of failure and prevent something like this from ever happening again."

 

[Borp]

So what? Is there an app which prevents black cab and minicab drivers from working long hours?

Is there something special about Uber drivers that they can't be trusted just like anyone else not to overwork?

Fair enough if it's industry wide. Just doesn't seem particularly safe.

 

[maomao]

I don't really get the comparison between Uber and black cabs, were they really in competition all that much? Of the few people I know who use Uber none of them ever got black cabs, couldn't afford them plus even these days you only see the odd one down SE.

They are absolutely in competition, back cabs still get bookings and have busy ranks at stations etc but their random street trade has pretty much collapsed. Why stick your arm out in the road and wait a couple of minutes when you could finish your coffee and then walk to a waiting car? They've also totally slaughtered the native private hire industry (which had been nearly completely beaten into submission by Addison Lee anyway).

 

[editor]

Haven't drivers been sacked for slagging off the company to fares?

I've no idea: I'm only posting up my own experiences.

 

[Crispy]

I wasn't aware there were concessions for those on the dole. If there are, I have wasted a lot of money.

50% off!

Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount

 

[ffsear]

I just feel strongly that more people should use the bus, to ensure the service continues. Bus services in London are great. You don't know how lucky you are to have a decent bus service.

Yea, i'm just kidding. I always use busses where ever possible and can't complain about them. But uber is very convenient at times. Especially if you heading to parts of town you don't know too well. Also if my girlfriend is on a night out, i'd much rather she gets an uber home. I've lost count of the amount of times she's fallen asleep on trains and woken up in Brighton.

 

[Orang Utan]

50% off!

Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount

shit

 

[editor]

Uber drivers can't stop working when they feel like it. If a customer in London wants to go to Aberdeen airport they have to take the job or never work for Uber again. Good riddance. The fares would have gone up massively when black cabs had been forced out of business.

Every driver has told me the opposite. If they feel like working for just 20 mins, they can.

 

[cupid_stunt]

The naïveté. Go and sit in the highly subsided TfL cafe at their head office on Victoria st for lunch. It’s dominated by black cab drivers.

Please explain how this equals TfL 'running the black cabs', you've lost me here.

 

[Orang Utan]

Yea, i'm just kidding. I always use busses where ever possible and can't complain about them. But uber is very convenient at times. Especially if you heading to parts of town you don't know too well. Also if my girlfriend is on a night out, i'd much rather she gets an uber home. I've lost count of the amount of times she's fallen asleep on trains and woken up in Brighton.

a friend of mine fell asleep in an Uber and woke up with a head injury.
He thought the driver assaulted him trying to wake him, but I reckon he just banged his head trying to get out - he's very tall.
But the driver apparently couldn't wake him and only knew the area he was going to, so drove around it for ages, trying to rouse my mate several times.
The map with the route they email you afterwards shows the cab going round and round in circles!