Channel 4 News Special : Uber, the real lives of its drivers...by Jim Thomas

Just incase you missed it Friday night, Channel 4's Ciaran Jenkins investigates the real lives of Uber drivers....."I don't see my wife, I don't see my kids, no holidays, no security, less than the minimum wage, assaults by drunken passengers" but they still do it. 

Funny though, not one word about the the Tax Credits, Housing and other benefits, the serious sexual assaults including rapes on passengers, the customer accounts that have been hacked, the ghost journeys, or the increasing amount of road traffic accidents caused by fatigued drivers constantly taking their eyes off the road to stare at their phones.

...

Richard, a suburban Licensed Taxi driver, reported on Twitter a few nights ago, he had done an 8 hour shift for £50 gross. 

After expenses, that's approx £2.50 an hour. 

All London green badged drivers are also reporting massive reductions in takings.

Our licensing authority has allowed a company who, in the very beginning, didn't comply fully with the terms and conditions of requirement as laid down by statutory legislation, to be licensed as an operator, even though in their own statements they admit they are not a private hire operator but a tech company.....a company that doesn't pay corporation tax in this country. 

Perhaps Channel 4's Ciaran could now do an investigation about the effects this company is having on the lives of real Taxi drivers and their families. Perhaps he could speak to the families of rape victims who's lives have been shattered. 

Perhaps he could investigate why officers from TfL lied (on multiple occasions...on record to the GLA transport committee) and bend over backwards to defend a company who's aim is to under cut by predatory pricing and wipe out the traditional Taxi and Private Hire industry in London?

Not one word in this report about the massive increase in serious sexual assaults including rapes, since Uber was first licensed by TfL. Last year Feb 15-Feb16, 154 reported attacks with 32 alleged convictions carried out by Uber drivers. In their report, the Met police say only 10% of sexual attacks are actually reported, the true figure could be closer to 1,540 attacks last year. 

That's over 30 a week.

 

Not one word in Ciaran's report about the terrible driving, dozens of collisions seen weekly, some containing fatal injuries. 

TfL advertise of the backs of there busses, just one glance at your phone whilst driving, is one risk too many, yet they've licensed this company whose drivers stare constantly at a Sat Nav while driving.

Let's see Ciaran put some of these incidents in a report.