Uber runs its own stops in London and ‘TfL plays dumb’

Uber runs its own stops in London and ‘TfL plays dumb’

We will be ‘forced to take matters into our own hands’. This is how the representatives of the taxi sector in London have warned the regulator Transport for London (TfL).

And it is that Uber has set up its own taxi stops in the emblematic Soho streets, which they call ‘collection points‘.

According to the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), they have begun collecting evidence to take legal action against drivers who park at these points.

News of the new ‘Uber pickup points’ began to spread at the end of April when a message from the transport company was sent to customers, detailing information about the new locations.

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The message highlights three new collection points located on busy Wardour Street, Romilly Street and Archer Street in Soho.

However, both LTDA and United Cabbies Group (UCG) quickly contacted regulator Transport for London claiming that what Uber calls pickup points are actually called taxi ranks.

Showing availability to the public for an immediate trip is considered to be the exclusive right of a taxi. Only licensed taxis can pick up on the street or form taxi ranks showing their availability.

The representatives have asked that TfL carry out an immediate application if the new ‘Collection Points’ are activated.

Steve McNamara, LTDA secretary general, said in the London daily TAXI:

“At the end of April, we became aware of Uber’s plans to create what they describe as ‘collection points’ in and around Soho due to some street closures.”

When Uber began sending its customers emails, text messages and push notifications to inform them of its plans, McNamara reached out to TfL officials to inform them, raise their concerns and ask them to take immediate enforcement action if Uber went ahead.

Since then, TfL has not acted, stating that ‘it’s not that simple’. They say they are ‘investigating this problem’ and have deployed officers to monitor specific locations to make sure no vehicles are obstructing the streets.

McNamara added:

“In a call with TfL officials and other business representatives last week, it became clear that they have no immediate plans to condemn Uber’s actions and make it clear to the company that the use of these points will not be tolerated.

I decided that enough was enough and took the opportunity to make our position very clear. I told him that TfL was breaching its duty as a regulator and that they had an obligation to act to respect the law and prevent Uber from establishing itself.

McNamara also explained to TfL that, if they refused to act, they would be forced to take matters into their own hands, gathering evidence to carry out the pertinent complaints, as they have done on numerous occasions.

We wait to see if they act and we will closely monitor the situation. In the meantime, taxi drivers have contacted members of the London Assembly to demand that they hold TfL accountable on this matter.

The ties between Uber, TfL and Downing Street

David Cameron is under investigation for pressuring Boris Johnson on behalf of Uber. The close ties between the David Cameron administration and Uber led Downing Street to put pressure on London not to introduce strict regulations on the transport company Uber.

Daniel Korski, David Cameron’s senior adviser, secretly aided Uber nearly two years before Downing Street launched its lobbying campaign to protect Uber.

Cameron and George Osborne told their aides to pressure Boris Johnson, who was mayor of London, to avoid the restrictions.

LTDA calls for probe to include Cameron Uber lobbying… #Uber #Cameronhttps://t.co/z3uMSp0Faw

— The LTDA (@TheLTDA) April 25, 2021

Uber runs its own stops in London and ‘TfL plays dumb’