In a huge blow to Uber in the UK London’s transport regulator has rejected its application to renew its license to operate in the city, while the company appeals. In a statement TfL said it has concluded that Uber is “not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator licence”.
Licensed minicab drivers are welcoming the cancellation of Uber license in the UK. Most of the local taxi businesses have been suffering ever since Uber was launched in Britain. Skyex is a Hounslow based minicab business. It provides app based taxi service to people going or coming back to Hounslow. The business is worth more than £6 million and Chief Executive Gurudev Jassi employs 400 drivers. When he started 28 years back, British cab companies didn’t hire Asian drivers so he hired them and then the majority of non-Asian drivers stopped working in the trade, so he bought the other cab companies out and before long “he had dominated the area.” But now he faces the disruptive threat of Uber. So to counter that he added minibuses and executive cars to his offering. This news of course comes as a music to his ear and businesses like him.
Abdul Hasan, a minicab driver for 25 years told Asian Voice, “I am not really complaining. We also provide app based service. But our market was definitely affected by Uber users.”
Madan R, a regular Uber user said, “This actually is bad news. I can't afford black cabs on night outs, and minicabs would only want cash. With Uber my late night returns were hassle-free.”
Tanya Singh from Manchester said, “I am a student and uber prices were perfect for my pocket. But I have had a bad experience once with a driver. So the question of security may be indeed be a valid one.”
Tariq Mohammed said, “This is wrong. Uber helped many youngsters to earn some money, rightfully. They have their criminal record checks, how can they be termed as not safe?”
