TfL refused to grant the ride-hailing service a new licence in November 2019 after it found that Uber demonstrated "a pattern of failures" involving passenger safety.
In particular, TfL said a change to Uber's system allowed unauthorised drivers to upload their photos to other driver accounts and pick up passengers illegally in at least 14,000 trips
Uber licence renewal appeal, 3rd day, has seen Uber’s UK and European General Manager Jamie Haywood, looking extremely uncomfortable in the dock under cross examination.
Acting for TfL, Marie Demetriu QC pushed the fact that Uber were supposed to be Fit and Proper when they were given the 15 month probationary licence by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot.
Hayward admitted that they had failed to notify TfL of the photo fraud where a female's photo on her licence, was replaced with one of a male.
Haywood tried desperately to pass the buck and blame former London and Ireland manager Tom Elvidge.
But TfL’s legal team tore his statements apart, getting him to admit that, although Uber had stated the ID issue had been addressed, in fact it had not.
Next up in the dock was Christopher Schildt, Uber’s head of safety risk and compliance.
TfL's QC also bought up cases where drivers got in the back of their cars with female passengers, locked the doors and sexually assaulted them.
It transpired that one of these drivers had a catalogue of similar complaints that wasn’t picked up in internal audits for over three years, before he was eventually deactivated. In that time completing over 2000 rides.
Schildt came back with, "Uber have now developed an algorithm called ‘DACT’ an analytical tool used to predict patterns of bad behaviour". They say this tool can predict if a driver is going to be touchy touchy.... as they say, you couldn’t make this stuff up.
Next up was Laurel Powers-Freeling who denied the allegations, previously set out by the LTDA in their submission, which stated that even now, the same culture still exists and on that basis, leaves the court with room to say they are unfit to operate.
As Chairman of the Uber board, she was asked “Uber were aware of the photo fraud, but the board was not informed” to which she answered “correct".
She also said in hindsight, the board should have been informed.
TfL continued to press her hard, due to the lack of forthright answers.
Amazingly when TfL's Director of Licensing, Regulation and Charging Helen Chapman took the stand, she made a quick statement that they had placed 12b restrictions on another operator... and as a total surprise, Uber had no questions for her, so she left.
You can follow the whole of today’s case, documented on @CabVision twitter page.
Uber's battle to renew its operating licence comes just weeks after the company's former CSO was charged with obstruction of justice for attempting to cover up a data breach with a $100,000 payment to the hackers.
If TfL knew that Uber had conducted 14,788 trips illegally, why did they wait until the licence was up for renewal and not revoke ???
Former Chair of the United Cabbies Group Len Martin said today:
“What’s the point of a CRB test?
If it only matters how sorry you are and lessons will be learnt then they are redundant.
“Unnecessary if all that matters is how sorry you are and lessons have been learnt.
“And then we have Taxi drivers unable to work because their CRB tests are delayed.
“CRBs look at your past mistakes. There is a serious contradiction here”.
The case is scheduled to finish tomorrow.
TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT :
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods Explained
A must watch video 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
No comments:
Post a Comment