London’s minicab drivers are opposing Uber’s licence renewal to operate in the city. A group of cabbies has joined other drivers who have threatened to take legal action against Transport for London (TfL).
United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD) is calling for new conditions for the renewal of Uber’s licence, and has written to TfL in effect. UPHD represents hundreds of the 117,000 drivers of private hire vehicles in London. The group wants new conditions protecting workers’ rights included, without which they believe public safety is being put at risk.
This comes a month after black cab drivers took similar action, writing to TfL ahead of Uber’s licence renewal this month.
The beginning of the year also saw members of the London Assembly back a motion calling on London Mayor Sadiq Khan make workers’ rights a condition for Uber’s licence.
James Farrar, UPHD founder and a successful claimant against Uber in the employment tribunal said: "Now the legal situation has been clarified, TfL and the mayor must take decisive action to protect workers in the interests of public safety by making worker rights protections a condition of Uber’s licence renewal.”
Uber can either obey the law or lose its licence to operate in London, while appealing the decision of the employment tribunal last year; which ruled in favour of drivers. According to the landmark ruling, Uber drivers are considered workers and are entitled to rights such as sick and holiday pay.
TfL has declined to comment on the matter, saying it doesn’t do so on status of individual licence applications.