Parliament UK: Chair Of BEIS Writes To Uber For Details On Limiting Drivers Hours.

Rachel Reeves, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee, writes to Uber for details on their efforts to introduce limits on the number of hours its drivers work amid concerns over driver and passenger safety.

Letter from the Chair to Andrew Byrne (EMEA Uber) relating to driver working hours, 28 November 2017

Inquiry: Taylor Review of modern working practices

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee

The BEIS Committee Chair has also pressed Uber for more information on the hours worked by its drivers, following Uber's failure to disclose details ( PDF 153 KB) to the Committee relating to how many of its drivers are working more than 70 and 80 hours a week.

Uber had previously appeared before the BEIS Committee on 10 October as part of its joint inquiry on the Taylor Review of modern working practices.

Rachel Reeves MP, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, said:

"Passengers booking journeys through Uber will want to know they are safe and secure. 

Uber needs to provide reassurance on these issues by setting out when it will introduce driver hour limits for its workforce and spell out what these limits will be. 

Drivers working long hours risk compromising the safety of both themselves and their passengers. 

It is strange that a data-driven business like Uber appears unable to answer our question on how many of its drivers are working more than 70 and 80 hours a week. 

We expect them to now respond with the missing figures."

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT :

UBER has been asked to tell MPs how it plans to limit the number of hours its drivers work amid concerns over safety.

The minicab app, which lost its licence to operate in London in September, has received a letter from the business select committee chair, Rachel Reeves, following its ‘failure’ to disclose how many drivers are working more than 70 hours a week. She said: ‘Passengers want to know they are safe. Uber needs to provide reassurance by setting out when it will introduce driver-hour limits and what these limits will be.’

She added: ‘It is strange that a data-driven business like Uber appears unable to answer our question.’ Uber’s head of public policy Andrew Byrne replied that 21 per cent of UK drivers are logged into the app for fewer than ten hours a week and 26 per cent for more than 40 hours. Less than six per cent work more than 60 hours. He said drivers were reminded ‘about the importance of getting enough rest’.

Mr Byrne said Uber has ‘made progress’ on a tool which counts hours on the app and, once the limit is reached, stops drivers working until they have been offline ‘for the required period of time’.

That's one thing about Uber, you can always count on them to produce 'Tools'.