Full report of Cambridge City Council Licensing decision regarding Uber
Uber's licence will expire later this month, prompting Cambridge City Council to decide today if the ride sharing service will be allowed to continue operating in the city.
The city council’s Taxi Licensing Committee took a hard look today (December 18) at whether to renew the private hire operator’s licence held by Uber Britannia Limited.
Uber Britannia Limited was first issued with a Private Hire Operator’s Licence on December 21, 2015 for one year.
Due to Uber not having traded under the initial licence for a whole year, the subsequent renewal application was treated as a new application. The licence was issued on December 21, 2016 for a period of one year.
From all accounts this has all the appearance of a kangaroo court.
Is this what we can expect in Londons case against the relicensing of Uber in the capital ???
No evidence" Uber is a risk to public safety
Philip Kolvin QC representing Uber says there is “no evidence in the 200,000 rides or more” taken in Cambridge that Uber is a risk to public safety. He says the empirical evidence is just not there.
He says Uber does not engage in “predatory” pricing, but notes that they are a new company looking to get into a competitive market.
Sexual assault: "Heaven forfend"
Philip Kolvin QC: “One single sexual offence is one too many. Uber is wholly committed to doing everything it can to protect its passengers.
“Of course nobody with a history of sexual misconduct would be permitted to drive with Uber. However, there are people in society who commit sexual offences.
(Unfortunately this is not the case as an Uber driver with complaints for sexual harassment was not reported on to TfL and the driver went on to rape)
“If, heaven forfend, an Uber driver were to sexually assault somebody, there is a whole record of the journey. I can only tell you that Uber will work with authorities like yours to root out any instances of sexual assault.”
(48 #UberRape assaults last year an increase of 50% on previous year would suggest QC Kolvin hasn't done his homework)
From early 2018 Uber will show who licensed driver
Do passengers know who their driver is licensed by?
Philip Kolvin QC says that, by early 2018, there will be a feature in Uber to show people which authority (South Cambs / Cambridge City Council / London / elsewhere) granted the licence.
Uber stopped online health checks
Philip Kolvin QC says that, for a month, Uber allowed drivers to get medical advice from the “PushDoctor” app. Transport for London said this had to stop and drivers actually had to go to see a GP for their physical examinations. Uber stopped this.
(Not a word about the 13,000 fake Criminal record DBS certificates... Did the QC leave this out on purpose?)
Happy to stop using 'greyball' technology
Mr Kolvin QC says Uber is happy to stop using “greyball” technology. Says that is an easy condition to agree to. Says UBL must pass complaints on the council.
(Uber used ex CIA agents to spy on competdaters according to this weeks Sunday Times)
Not one word about the hacking scandal or the Customer account details being sad wholesale on line???
According to a report due to go before the committee: “Since November 2016, we have received six complaints regarding Uber as an operator.
“Five of these were received on the 15th and 16th November 2016, which was when Uber vehicles first appeared in Cambridge. The complaints related to how the bookings were made.
“Investigations carried out by the Licensing enforcement officers concluded that Uber was acting correctly.”
The report added that: “No complaints have been made to Cambridge City Council from members of the public in regards to journeys taken in Uber vehicles.
“At the time of the inspection, Uber Britannia Limited currently uses four private hire vehicles and drivers licensed by Cambridge City Council.”
Two letters objecting to the renewal of the Operator’s licence have been sent from Panther Taxis Ltd and a joint response from Cambridge City Licensed Taxis (CCLT) and Cambridge Hackney & Private Hire Association (CHPHA).
Apparently both the LTDA and UCG have a plethora of evidence, showing that the Uber platform is illegal....why didn't they offer help to their colleagues in Cambridge?
The committee left the room to deliberate and returned at 02:40
Verdict:
Video by @ACarpenDigital
Cllr Gerri Bird reads decision. They have decided, after hearing all the representations, that Uber will have their licence extended for another five years
TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT
Just who is this defence QC?
• As this is the man who defends Uber and its drivers in court, is this not a conflict of interest?
• Should London's Taxi orgs be putting in an objection to this QC being chosen to chair the night time commision?
6 comments:
The knowledge is finished A friend of mine was going to start it in the new year I told him don’t bother save your self 4 years and do something else
Comments like that ☝️ will kill the industry! Still plenty of life left
Appeal the decision. That's what Uber would do. Collect the registration numbers of tfl licensed vehicles operating regularly in Cambridge. Use local newspapers to highlight the 1998 private hire act. If a pH driver accepts a journey directly from the Uber ap is his/her insurance valid ?
rich kid,you,re right there son we,ll all be alright,i worked in the print,and heard all the stories of impending doom before,and you know what?they were right,don,t worry going on any demos,writing to your mp etc etc,and when it all goes tits up,stand and scream "why didn,t anyone do anyone do anything"
Rich kid there is some truth in anonymous at 302 TFLs figures for Knolwedge applicants has dropped dramatically since the beginning of this year only just over 600 people have applied take away the drop outs your left with just over 150 people since August there have been no new applicants to me that’s very worrying also take the knowledge schools there point sheets where I think Just over £60 a year now been raised to £180 per year mind you that’s was only put in place to push Knolwedge students in to schools but I doubt that will work we have Many changes coming next year non of what I can see to have any benefits to our trade the Knolwedge needs to be made more attractive And promoted to encourage more people to do it can’t see it happening my self here’s why Acton high street to ashford Middlesex £20 uber how can we compete with that I’m guessing the driver will end up with £8 and yet theses drivers still like working for peanuts worrying times ahead
"how can we compete"?we can,t,how can we when we,re FORCED to drive a £60,000 vehicle,that theres no charging facilitys for? how do,es uber transport a wheelchair bound passenger?we,re being shafted without vaseline,"londons open for buisness"perhaps the mayor needs a little reminder that we can shut it,there must be mass drive ins,surely theres enough evidence for a public enquiry into tfl
Post a Comment