Uber Are To Be Relicensed For Five Years In Cambridge ....Shape Of Things To Come ?

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.”

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. 

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.

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).

 The committee left the room to deliberate and returned at 02:40 

Verdict

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? 

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