A major set back for those who thought Uber would not be relicensed at the end of this month
London's Licensing authority (TfL) have pushed forward with new plans that are set to add nearly £1m to its bill.
See TFL's announced made this morning:
They now plan to charge a maximum fee of £2.9m for the largest mincab firms to operate in the capital, it can be revealed, amending its original plans to increase it to £166,000.
To those who said there is no way TfL could relicense a company with so much controversy and complaint against it (sexual assaults including rapes of passengers by drivers, theft, customer account hacking, overcharging, spying on officials) we would answer, this has never been about regulation, legislation or public safety, it's always been about money.
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TfL have also quietly backed down on their proposal to charge a £68 fee per Minicab, for any firm with more than 1,000 vehicles, after a backlash from the operators.
The changes were made after the industry warned that the extra costs would put small and medium sized firms out of business. This means the larger operators such as Uber and Addison Lee will now pay more and just a few of the smallest will pay less.
The troubled startup would have been charged just over the £2m mark, based on the number of cars it has, but will now have to pay the maximum £2.9m fee for operators with more than 10,000 vehicles.
And Addison Lee is now expected to foot a bill more than twice as much as under the original "per car" plans, as operators running between 1,001 and 10,000 cars will be charged £700,000. A further 10 operators with between 500 and 1,000 cars will have to pay £350,000.
The current fee is just £2,800 for any operator with more than 1,000 cars, but TfL has said it must change in order to cover the costs of a huge rise in the number of minicabs on the road. So much for congestion and pollution,as long as you got the money.
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The changes are expected to bring in millions more as it becomes self sufficient after losing government subsidies, but it has warned that it still faces a shortfall.
It estimates more than 1,500 operators in total with fewer than 500 cars will be negatively impacted, paying between £3,174 and £157,000 in additional costs over five years. 400 with less than 10 cars will pay £826 less.
The details of the changes were quietly revealed among documents published with TfL's latest finance committee meeting last week and also include the date they are likely to be implemented - 1 April 2018.
Uber and Addison Lee have had their operating licences renewed in the short-term while TfL makes the changes, for four and six months respectively. But both will face a second temporary renewal before the changes comes into force.
Uber's is due to be renewed at the end of September and Transport for London faces mounting pressure over the matter. But where money is concerned, pressure calling for public safety is like water off a ducks back to TfL. Its alleged they will be looking to give Uber an 8 month extension, by then the new charges will be firmly in place.
Breakdown of Fees
9 comments:
Of course this was always going to be the case. Now for the future it will mean that those that pay the most and also have the most voters for the MPs will have the most say in all future legislation, rights and matters concerning the trade. This will be at the detriment to the black cabs. Basically the black cabs are finished in the near future, it certainly is not worth doing 4 years study then a £60k investment as profit will not be realised for many future years. Not sound economics. Best thing is to run current taxi into ground or sell up then leave trade to pursue alternative occupations, perhaps train driving or anything. Takes intelligence and willpower to do knowledge so should be able to switch to something better.
That's that then. Black cabs finished. Who in right mind would invest £60k and the rest. Forget about taxi driving soon, it will be finished for good. Watch and observe, it has happened in New York, it will happen in London. The licensing department will not be independent, they will pander to who pays most. Basically Uber will run the licensing department, if they don't already. I suspect they already do.
What makes this worse is our largest org has been complicit in our demise.
They advised no action over Uber
They advised no action of the meter case
They advised no action over Bank Junction
They advise no actionover pedestrianisation of Oxford Street
They advised sitting back and waiting
And we've waited too long
And it's now too late
Well done Steve and Bob
Will you be getting a job now at TfL like your mate Martin ?
We must be living in a different universe. Did anyone seriously believe for a moment this companys progress could be halted? I've watched several times the interview of Theresa villiers on 'the daily politics programme'. Her comments were indefensible,even more so from a woman. Had a male MP uttered those words,showing a such a crass indifference towards a torrent of alleged sexual assaults they would have been pilloried. Theresa villiers, from a true blue blooded titled family. The same MP with questionable ethics re commons expenses. The ambivalent attitude towards living within a commutable distance to parliament yet buying a kennington property and nauseatingly claiming expenses on the London property. ( Don't do as I do,do as I say and taxes are for the little people to pay seem to be her mantra.) Yet she seems to believe she is fit to pass a judgement that should be given consideration on uber. 'I wouldn't like to see Londoners lose the chance of using a company like uber?!!
The cab trade never had the personnel to take on an outfit like uber. They are so skilled and manipulative at putting people in the right places with influence and questionable ethics it was an unfair fight from the beginning. The public are naive and impressionable. They don't give a hoot regarding regulations and so forth. We always knew they wanted cheap. People criticise the 'ethics ' of company's like primark with rock bottom prices in sweat shops,of Starbucks and amazon paying little tax in far away places but they keep using them.
Uber will be re-licensed 100%. Perhaps short term as a sweetener to the 'little people'. The world of transport has changed irrevocably over the last five years. A slew of terrible news and it's really awful, crime ,sex assault accidents hasn't made a dent in this juggernaut. It is the money. The billions pay off that's coming with an IPO. The pay out to those in exec positions. We can't stop this We can only delay it. Every day I go to work uber will lose Mandy a little longer. Come 2019 on their trajectory they may make a dollar profit.
We must be living in a different universe. Did anyone seriously believe for a moment this companys progress could be halted? I've watched several times the interview of Theresa villiers on 'the daily politics programme'. Her comments were indefensible,even more so from a woman. Had a male MP uttered those words,showing a such a crass indifference towards a torrent of alleged sexual assaults they would have been pilloried. Theresa villiers, from a true blue blooded titled family. The same MP with questionable ethics re commons expenses. The ambivalent attitude towards living within a commutable distance to parliament yet buying a kennington property and nauseatingly claiming expenses on the London property. ( Don't do as I do,do as I say and taxes are for the little people to pay seem to be her mantra.) Yet she seems to believe she is fit to pass a judgement that should be given consideration on uber. 'I wouldn't like to see Londoners lose the chance of using a company like uber?!!
The cab trade never had the personnel to take on an outfit like uber. They are so skilled and manipulative at putting people in the right places with influence and questionable ethics it was an unfair fight from the beginning. The public are naive and impressionable. They don't give a hoot regarding regulations and so forth. We always knew they wanted cheap. People criticise the 'ethics ' of company's like primark with rock bottom prices in sweat shops,of Starbucks and amazon paying little tax in far away places but they keep using them.
Uber will be re-licensed 100%. Perhaps short term as a sweetener to the 'little people'. The world of transport has changed irrevocably over the last five years. A slew of terrible news and it's really awful, crime ,sex assault accidents hasn't made a dent in this juggernaut. It is the money. The billions pay off that's coming with an IPO. The pay out to those in exec positions. We can't stop this We can only delay it. Every day I go to work uber will lose Money a little longer. Come 2019 on their trajectory they may make a dollar profit.
We've only got ourselves to blame for listening to the likes of Steve "let's just wait and see" McNamara.
Even the once proud, militant UCG bought off by LTDA.
Now it's too late, they will be looking to point the finger at other orgs like they normally do.
And it's our fault for paying them to do nothing
Addison Lee is supportive of Transport for London’s (TfL) move to implement new regulations and to increase the number of enforcement officers in London to make Taxis and private Hire service in London as safe as possible. We recognise that these measures need to be paid for and are grateful that TfL has listened to our consultation response and developed an equitable framework for the charges necessary to cover the enforcement work they will undertake.
Is this the same Michael 'I'm a doctor now' Galvin
A Taxi driver who allegedly sold his colleagues down the river, for a well paid job with TfL then joined the enemy.
Does he really think we will take any notice of anything he has to say
is this the same Galvin, whose Mother, was once a PROUD Licenced London Taxi Driver, I think she went under the name of, someting like, The First Lady of Taxi Driving
if correct, I wonder what her thoughts today would be - would she only be interested in, THE MONEY, or OUR TRADE?
I think I know the answer
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