Uber refused London licence - but it can continue to operate for now - MSE News

Former_MSE_Callum

Cab app Uber's licence to operate in London will not be renewed - but it'll be able to continue operating for the time being...

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'https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2019/11/uber-refused-london-licence---but-can-continue-to-operate-for-no/'

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Johno100

Shouldn't this be in Public Transport & Cycling?

neilmcl

Johno100 wrote: »

Shouldn't this be in Public Transport & Cycling?

Since when has a taxi service been public transport?

Johno100

neilmcl wrote: »

Since when has a taxi service been public transport?

It's no less public transport than the private bus and train companies, matters relating to which are discussed on the board I mentioned

Scrapit

neilmcl wrote: »

Since when has a taxi service been public transport?

The general public get transported by them. Not really motoring either but I suppose it's got to go somewhere.

neilmcl

Taxis are not and have never been defined as part of a public transport system, end of.

Astar1809

Such a shame, I love Uber, but being a large, confident male I have never had to consider the "safety side of things like others may.

From Heathrow Airport (the nearest tube station to my home) it costs me £6-8 pound to get home, the official black cabs have a minimum fair of £35. Since I have been using Uber travel in and around London has been revolutionised for me, I can track where my taxi is, prepare the kids to be ready on time (not late or in coats waiting around like lemons), I know almost exactly what I will pay and I don't even need the cash on me.

Its as much the service as well as the cost effective nature of the business. I hope they get reinstated.

neilmcl

Nothing much will change in the short-term as Uber will still be allowed to operate whilst the appeal this in the courts, and the likelihood is they'll probably win as they did before. This is just some muscle flexing by Sadiq Khan propped by the London cabbies.

TooManyPoints

Taxis are not and have never been defined as part of a public transport system, end of.

Fortunately simply writing "end of" does not necessarily close down a debate.

It is arguable whether taxis are "public transport" or not. Certainly I would consider a London Black Cab to be public transport. You can hail them as you would a bus and you pay a controlled fare. They are administered and regulated by TfL. The only difference is they are limited in capacity and whilst you're in it nobody else can join the ride. But until hailed, they are open to all the public.

Not quite the same argument can be made for Private Hire vehicles. They have to be booked through their office and cannot be hailed in the street. But they are available for anybody to use in the same way as Black Cabs are. In London they are regulated by TfL and in most other towns and cities the local authority does likewise.

Uber lies somewhere in the middle as no pre-booking is required and they turn up on demand in response to a request made via the Uber App. But they cannot be hailed in the street. Nonetheless they, too are regulated by TfL.

I suppose it depends what is being discussed when asking the question whether they are "public transport" or not. Certainly as far as being an alternative to individual use of private vehicles they are very much public. The International Road Transport Union says this:

Taxi services are an individual, mostly door-to-door service, offered to the public predominantly at a local level. By the very nature of their services, taxis are an integral element of the multimodal public transport chain in both urban and rural areas. Taxi services should aim to promote cooperation with other modes, such as rail, bus and coach, to ensure better customer services, to improve the competitiveness of the public transport chain in relation to the private car.

So it's not quite "end of".

AdrianC

One particular minicab company don't keep their licence.

Hey-ho. Plenty of other minicab companies out there.

TooManyPoints

There is a bit of a difference though, Adrian. The Uber business model seems to me (and I've used both) more flexible than traditional "minicabs". Uber operates where I live and when I'm out dining and boozing it is far easier to get an Uber late into the evening (which, for me is after 10pm!) than it is a traditional minicab. You can see instantly how far away your nearest car is and can decide whether to accept it or have another pint. Where I live Black Cabs are non-existent and can only be seen picking up at the local railway stations. There's no way you could rely on hailing a Black Cab as you're leaving a pub or restaurant in my area.

I guess there's room for all three. I certainly prefer a Black Cab when I'm in Central London. I like the idea that the driver has "The Knowledge" and that he does not rely on a sat-nav to negotiate the complications that Central London throws up. I use a pre-booked minicab to and from the airport or for any longer journeys I might have to make. But Uber seems to come into its own following an evening out. I've never really considered the safety aspect but all those I've taken have given me no cause for concern. But then again I'm a bloke and I'm not usually alone when I travel.