{"id":13495,"date":"2017-09-22T12:55:24","date_gmt":"2017-09-22T11:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=13495"},"modified":"2017-09-22T15:49:26","modified_gmt":"2017-09-22T14:49:26","slug":"cab-trades-wild-west-snubbed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=13495","title":{"rendered":"Cab trade\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Wild West\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 snubbed"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Following concerted lobbying from Unite and other unions, Transport for London (TfL) today (September 22) announced Uber\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s operating licence will not be renewed in a resounding victory for passenger safety.<\/p>\n

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TfL said that it would be revoking Uber\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s operating licence because the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u015bapproach and conduct demonstrate a lack of corporate responsibility\u00e2\u20ac\u0165, after allegations that Uber was looking the other way when its drivers allegedly sexually assaulted passenger<\/a>s.<\/p>\n

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In one instance, a driver sexually assaulted a passenger \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and even after it was reported, the driver continued to work for Uber and later went on to commit a \u00e2\u20ac\u015bmore serious\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 sexual assault offence against a different passenger.<\/p>\n

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Uber has 21 days to appeal the decision revoking its private hire licence in London, during which time the app can continue to operate. But if Uber loses its appeal, it will no longer have a presence in its largest market in Europe.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bTfL’s regulation of London’s taxi and private hire trades is designed to ensure passenger safety,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 TfL noted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bPrivate hire operators must meet rigorous regulations, and demonstrate to TfL that they do so, in order to operate. TfL must also be satisfied that an operator is fit and proper to hold a licence.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bTfL has concluded that Uber London Limited is not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator licence.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Other reasons TfL had given for rejecting Uber\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s licence renewal is the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s approach to how medical certificates and DBS checks for its drivers are obtained.<\/p>\n

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TfL also expressed concern over Uber\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s use of Greyball software, which can be used to block regulatory bodies from fully accessing the Uber app and could block officials from undertaking regulatory or law enforcement duties.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

London mayor Sadiq Khan stood by TfL\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0098London at the forefront\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI want London to be at the forefront of innovation and new technology and to be a natural home for exciting new companies that help Londoners by providing a better and more affordable service,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bHowever, all companies in London must play by the rules and adhere to the high standards we expect \u00e2\u20ac\u201cparticularly when it comes to the safety of customers. Providing an innovative service must not be at the expense of customer safety and security.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI fully support TfL\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it would be wrong if TfL continued to license Uber if there is any way that this could pose a threat to Londoners\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 safety and security.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Uber London’s licence renewal application being rejected is the latest blow to the US-based tech company \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it has been driven out of other places such as Denmark and Hungary and has been contested on regulatory grounds in states throughout America and cities around the world.<\/p>\n

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Uber has further been embroiled in scandals revealing a systemic sexism and bullying culture within the company, which forced its former CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick to resign in June.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chair of London\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Unite black cab section Jim Kelly hailed TfL\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision today.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and Transport for London have done the right thing in putting the safety of passengers and Londoners ahead of the big corporate interests of Uber,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bDogged by controversy, Uber\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s approach has been to exploit workers and bend the rules while trying to brush passenger safety concerns under the carpet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bNo one is above the law and today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision will be welcomed by London\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s trusted professional black cab drivers,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Kelly went on to say. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt signals that the mayor of London and Transport for London are not prepared to allow London to become the \u00e2\u20ac\u0098wild west\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 of the cab trade and put passengers at risk.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIn the coming weeks Uber will no doubt throw all its legal and corporate lobbying might to overturn this decision. We would urge the mayor of London and Transport for London to stand firm and continue to stand up for the safety of Londoners and the capital\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s trusted cabbies.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following concerted lobbying from Unite and other unions, Transport for London (TfL) today (September 22) announced Uber\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s operating licence will not be renewed in a resounding victory for passenger safety.   TfL said that it would be revoking Uber\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s operating licence because the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u015bapproach and conduct demonstrate a lack of corporate responsibility\u00e2\u20ac\u0165, after allegations […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13496,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[114,192,718],"wps_subtitle":"Unite hails Khan Uber license ruling","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13495"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13495"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13497,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13495\/revisions\/13497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}