London taxi drivers turn to crowdfunding to fight Uber

[webfact]

London taxi drivers turn to crowdfunding to fight Uber
BY LARRY BANKS



LONDON: -- London group Action for Cabbies has just launched a £600,000 crowdfunding campaign to finance a judicial review regarding the decision made back in 2012 by Transport for London (TfL) that ruled Uber doesn’t need to be regulated like the black cabs so popular in London.

The argument concerns whether Uber’s driver app should be considered as a taxi meter. The cab drivers say it performs the same function and so therefore should come under the same regulations as traditional black cabs.

Currently 25,000 black cab drivers’ jobs could be at stake under threat from Uber, and it’s the only taxi fleet that is completely accessible to the disabled, and the fact that congestion in London is at record levels.

“The team at Rosenblatt Solicitors in conjunction with Thomas Sharpe QC have formed the view that there are sufficient grounds to apply to the Court for permission to bring an application for judicial review against Transport for London (TfL) on the basis that the granting of Uber’s licence to operate was unlawful”, lawyers for the group say.

It’s currently four years since TfL made the decision in favour of Uber, and it would mark only the beginning of any legal battle for the capital’s taxi drivers.

Full story: http://www.streetwisejournal.com/london-taxi-drivers-crowdfund-against-uber/

-- StreetWiseJournal 2016-01-19

[Scouse123]

Why they want crowdfunding?

They charge enough in fares!!!!!!!!!................... 25,000 cab drivers and they need 600,000 GBP in legal fees.

How about they all put in 24GBP each, problem solved!

[djlest]

Well they should reduce cab fares then, since OIL is now at a record low why are cab fares so high?
Its called healthy competition - You cant monopolies forever black cabs... Reduce your costs and get an app, grab taxi do very good here and i actually prefer them to uber.. why cant they?

[onthemoon]

Isn't Uber that company which uses private drivers that are not insured for commercial passengers? Who would use them, I wonder.

[Scouse123]

When you have a shop or a restaurant or a bar, and another similar business opens, the council says competition is good and promotes businesses to try harder and give value for money and better service Well, the same applies here. The black cabs have had their own way for far too long. They now wish to monopolise the taxi industry. What's good for the goose.... and all that!

But my original point was why are they reaching out for funds for a lawsuit that they themselves are bringing about, when if they all chip in £24 each, the equivalant of a couple of fares, they can pay it themselves. What they want is not what crowdfunding is about!!

Edited January 19, 2016 by Scouse123

[wooloomooloo]

Good luck with the crowdfunding. There's no way I'd part with a penny for this particular legal challenge and doubt there's many that would, unless they've a vested interest.

Whilst black cabs provide a good service, just travelling a couple of hundred yards down a road in London is going to cost me 5 or 6 quid.

[williamgeorgeallen]

Isn't Uber that company which uses private drivers that are not insured for commercial passengers? Who would use them, I wonder.

seems many people are using them. in fact in many countries despite uber being a fairly new company it is bigger than most existing taxi companies. my mate drives for them in perth and he loves the it. many of his customers say they will never take a taxi again because uber is such a superior service. i might even drive part time for uber when i sell my business and move back to nz. uber and uber style taxi services are the future.

appealing to crowd funding to help with legal fees. what a joke.

[onthemoon]

Isn't Uber that company which uses private drivers that are not insured for commercial passengers? Who would use them, I wonder.

seems many people are using them. in fact in many countries despite uber being a fairly new company it is bigger than most existing taxi companies. my mate drives for them in perth and he loves the it. many of his customers say they will never take a taxi again because uber is such a superior service. i might even drive part time for uber when i sell my business and move back to nz. uber and uber style taxi services are the future.

appealing to crowd funding to help with legal fees. what a joke.

I wouldn't take an unlicenced taxi driven by a private person.

Of course, service is important. In Japan (I think it was Tokyo) and in Kuala Lumpur, there are different taxi services with different prices and different service levels. That is perfectly OK, so I can choose whether I want a cheap taxi or best service. In some countries, Uber also operate legally as a taxi company (then called Uber Plus, or Uber Select or so), and they simply offer better service - that would be a good idea for Bangkok. Taxis are so cheap here, I feel sorry for the drivers. And I would be willing to pay more for better service. But I would never step into a car that is not registered as a taxi; not only for insurance reasons but also because the running cost are lower (no bureaucratic overhead) and it is simply unfair competition.

As for the Black Taxis in London, I would have no objection against them getting competition, but it must be fair. The competition must be required to get the same licences and insurance. Then the customer can decide whether they want to use a really nice - and accessible - traditional taxi, or a cheaper one. I can imagine that many would choose the cheaper one, but that's how business works. The important part is that it must be a level playing field.