Taxi Driver Online

probably a bit too early for this to appear on news outlets but I came across this on youtube

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x906y8y

a good interview in the above with a driver

or youtube vlogger WOTWS (he missed it but found some footage)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGNkmN1DDVQ

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

Blackpool Uber protest brings seaside town to standstill as taxi drivers make a stand

https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire- ... e-29343083

Taxis brought traffic to a halt in Blackpool today (June 12), in protest against what they say are illegal and unfair actions by Uber drivers operating in the town.

Talbot Road was at a standstill between 10am and 12pm as several vehicles parked across the carriageway, making it impossible for other drivers and public transport to pass. The cabbies were protesting against the presence of the US firm in the resort - which they say is operating without a licence.

They also claim its drivers have been illegally using taxi ranks which have been designated for Hackney carriages. It is also feared some of the influx of drivers from other towns may not be insured to carry drivers.

It is feared their operation causes a risk to the public.

Blackpool Council has also confirmed it is seeking legal advice regarding the operation of Uber vehicles in the town. It confirmed the US tech giant is not currently licensed by Blackpool Council.

In a statement to LancsLive, the authority stated it intended to deal with the issue 'robustly'.

Earlier this month, Chris Webb, who will again be Labour's candidate to be MP for Blackpool South, raised the issue on May 16 as his first question in the House of Commons. He has also held a meeting with Uber, in which the firm said it is open to blocking its drivers from picking up in Blackpool taxi ranks

Uber also said it will establish lines of communication with Blackpool’s licensing team to facilitate the reporting of any illegal activity by its drivers.

Today, Uber told LancsLive they are operating legally in Blackpool with licenses obtained from different areas of the UK. However, they are currently applying for licenses in different cities across the country.

They also said its drivers were blocked from accepting rides from areas such as designated taxi bays.

But following the protest, drivers told LancsLive they have collected thousands of pieces of evidence of wrongdoing by Uber drivers in the town.

Others revealed they struggled to compete financially with drivers backed by the Uber app. One said: "We can't compete with those fares. For instance, here it's a £10 charge to the Pleasure Beach, say for a family of six. That's not bad value really, it might be for a lot of people but it's cheaper than a bus or the tram, it's £2 each or whatever and they're doing it for a fiver!

"There's just so many of them and they're flooding the market."

Another added: "Ideally we want them out of Blackpool [Uber], but if they've got to be here then they need regulating. Nobody's policing it."

A spokesperson for Blackpool Taxi Association said: "The Blackpool Taxi Association acknowledges action taken by some of its members and the wider trade in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. Whilst this action was not organised by the association, we support the drivers in their protest against the inactivity of Blackpool Council on this issue.

"The council have repeatedly informed us that no enforcement will be taken against the illegal actions of out of town licenced taxis and private hire vehicles. This is unacceptable and causes a risk to the public as they are not insured for their journey in a lot of cases and we even have evidence of drivers not being licenced themselves, using another person's licence. We have sent numerous pieces of this evidence to Blackpool Council and they are simply not interested."

A council spokesperson said: "Taxi operators have alerted us to instances of Uber drivers operating in Blackpool and their concerns around this. The safety of our residents and visitors is always our priority. Uber is not licensed by Blackpool Council currently. We are seeking legal opinion in relation to this matter, as we are conscious that the legal framework around taxi legislation is outdated and requires review.

"This is not a situation that is unique to Blackpool. We are speaking to the Local Government Association as well as our neighbouring authorities to ensure we deal with this robustly."

An Uber spokesperson said: "Uber operates according to the high standards set across the industry and abides by the same regulations as all other private hire operators. We look to provide the best possible experience for passengers and engage closely with councils across the country. Uber also leads the industry in providing every driver a pension, holiday pay and sickness protection, which almost all local minicab firms do not."

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IDFIMH

Talk about pi**ing your money up the wall.


Looks like the out-of-town car issue might be being sorted out quite soon.

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IDFIMH

Not so sure about your thesis, Sussex.

For a start, even if it was legislated, it would take years to legislate and implement, and Uber would have plenty of time to work round any transitional arrangements that would be necessary. I'd guess nearer to 2030 for full implementation than the current time, even assuming a new government got things going pretty quickly in terms of moving to legislation.

I'd guess Uber's applications are more about reverting to more direct expansion rather than when they put it all on hold in 2017, or whenever it was. And then there was lockdown and the Local Cab stuff, for a couple of years, but obviously that's all in the past now

I'm under no illusion that the cross-border hiring situation will be sorted soon, if ever, I was more pointing out that the out-of-town issue would be addressed, even if only partly, should Blackpool license Uber.

And that's when the loacl firms will have something to moan about.

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IDFIMH

I'm fairly certain, in my own mind at least, that Uber's current expansion is down to what they believe is coming from a Labour government.

Why else would they be doing this when current laws allow them to operate anywhere with or without a local license?

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IDFIMH

I hear what you're saying

However, when you said earlier that the out-of-town car issue 'might be sorted out quite soon', I assumed you meant nationally, and by way of legislation.

Because even if Uber get op's licences in many more authorities, it will just be another string to their bow, rather than putting a stop to using cross-border cars.

I mean, as long as it's a good bit more difficult to get a badge and plate in the likes of York than in the likes of Wolverhampton, they aren't going to stop encouraging drivers to get licensed in the latter.

And, of course, neither are the hundreds of other operators using the likes of Wolves and Sefton, at least until they're forced to stop by national legislation

I smell a hint of PR and gladhanding about what Uber are up to as well (who'd have expected that?).

It helps fend off all the negative publicity they get in the local press about shipping in cars from elsewhere, which of course all feeds into the 'unlicensed' and 'unknown' drivers narrative.

It's like the geofencing BS as well - I mean, all it amounts to is that drivers won't get any bookings if they're too close to a rank, correct me if I'm wrong. Will hardly stop them plying for hire if someone puts their hand out, or if they're stopped in the street, whether it's actually on a rank, or in the other 99% of York that won't be geofenced

But it serves a purpose in bamboozling and thus impressing credulous councillors

Would be interesting to know, though, why they put a hold on the direct expansion in 2017, or whenever it was - after all, it was all before lockdown etc.

Maybe it was all to do with the 'fit and proper' stuff in London, and the Supreme Court stuff, which would have taken a lot of management time to deal with it all, and created uncertainty as regards expansion etc.

So maybe now all that's out of the way, and lockdown has largely been forgotten about (or at least the legacies of lockdown have kind of settled down a bit, and the territory is no longer so uncharted), then Uber is on the march again

Local driver wants people to sign his petition.

https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news ... it-4706715

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IDFIMH

Where do they put them all?

300 cars lined up would stretch for nearly 1.5 miles


Must be the only 'gentleman' left in the trade if he's not willing to do a pick-up in another area

And if he lives in the Wyre Council area, isn't he 'stealing work from his neighbour' if he's working in Blackpool?

So, Captain Cab, above are the words which you now say a 'lazy/naughty' journalist 'unfairly portrayed'.

In what way, precisely?

Yes, he said those words, but it was in the article above, not the article I referred to

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

Our voices are not being heard warn Blackpool taxi drivers after Uber is granted operators licence

Taxi leaders in Blackpool have hit back at a council decision to approve an operators' licence for Uber behind closed doors.

The Blackpool Taxi Association, which represents drivers in the town, says the number of complaints made against out-of-town Uber drivers who had already been working in the town, means the application should have gone before the Public Protection Sub-Committee.

Instead, the decision was made by licensing officers using their delegated powers. The approval was revealed at a meeting of the full council last month, with the council saying Uber had fulfilled all the criteria for a private hire operator's licence.

Coun Paula Burdess, cabinet member for community safety, street scene and neighbourhoods, gave a statement saying the licence had been granted to Uber as there was nothing to "call into question the fitness and propriety of the applicant".

But Bill Lewtas, secretary of the Blackpool Taxi Association, has challenged this and says members of the association have gathered evidence some Uber drivers had contravened rules including by using taxi ranks.

In a statement issued in response to the council, he said: "I read with interest the explanation from Blackpool Council about the way in which the Uber operators license was issued. What was not mentioned was the complaints made against Uber drivers this year and last.

"In June 2023, we were asked to send in details and footage of wrongdoing by out-of-town taxi drivers. This message was repeated again in April 2024, at a meeting attended by numerous taxi drivers and companies. Obviously, drivers had to be careful not to inflame a difficult situation. Enforcement is not something taxi drivers are trained to do.

"The council gave little or no feedback on this and what action, if any, was taken. But it was evident from taxi driver social media pages the number of complaints was considerable. It is our view these complaints should have been considered as part of the decision-making. This would normally involve the Public Protection Sub-Committee.

"Whilst we understand that a taxi operator's request for an operator’s license would not normally require a decision by the Public Protection Sub-Committee, this is different because of the complaints."

Mr Lewtas also said concerns had been raised about a lack of enforcement against out-of-town taxi drivers.

He added: "The statement made about the way in which operators licenses have been issued to other operators is not relevant. The majority of these are one-man airport specialists, for whom there are no complaints.

"Clearly, there is no need for these to be considered by the committee. However, the public protection sub-committee has been used to determine operators licenses in Blackpool in the past."

Mr Lewtas also questioned why no details of where Uber would be based in Blackpool were revealed, when taxi policy states licences will not be granted for an operating base outside of Blackpool.

The council said the Uber application was treated in the same way as previous applications made by the 27 private hire operators currently licensed in Blackpool.

Coun Burdess told full council: "The issues raised by local taxi drivers about drivers licensed outside of the area could not lawfully be considered in relation to this application. This application was purely about Uber’s suitability to hold an operator’s licence."

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IDFIMH

I like Bill Lewtas, he's a gentleman, sadly he's not dealing with gentlemen.

If there's evidence of wrongdoing then the council must surely consider this evidence, I'm not saying Uber are responsible for the actions of their drivers, but they could have geo-fenced areas of Blackpool to presumably lessen the likelihood of such allegations?

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