Uber drivers commit most minicab offences in London
 

Extract from:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/uber-drivers-commit-most-minicab-offences-in-london-2235dlddf?shareToken=855b5a60523bdfa541c706bbec3f7 c61

Almost two-thirds of people accused of minicab driving offences in London
work for Uber, according to police.

In internal emails obtained by The Sunday Times, Inspector Neil Billany,
head of the Metropolitan police’s taxi and private hire unit, said 62% of
all alleged minicab driving offences over the previous month had involved
the company’s drivers. Uber employs only about a third of London’s minicab
drivers.

The offences include causing death by dangerous driving, careless driving,
drink-driving, driving without insurance and speeding.

In the emails, written on July 7, Billany said he had “concerns with Uber
as an operator�, adding: “I am seeing an increasing amount of my team’s
workload relating directly to them . . . there seems to be a disconnect
between them taking responsibility for their drivers, their driving
standards and the condition of their vehicles.� Of the 128 private hire
drivers reported to police over the previous four weeks, 79 were working
for Uber, Billany said, with “many� of their alleged offences “relating
directly to road safety�.

Over a longer period, from May 1 to July 16, just over half of all minicab
traffic offences were committed by Uber drivers. Uber claimed last night
that the figures were “proportional� to the number of its drivers. However,
only about 40,000 of London’s 117,000 licensed private hire drivers — 34% —
work for the company.

Uber drivers commit most minicab offences in London
 

In message
-septe
mber.org, at 09:59:30 on Sun, 20 Aug 2017, Recliner
remarked:

Billany said he had concerns with Uber as an operator, adding: I am
seeing an increasing amount of my team’s workload relating directly
to them . . . there seems to be a disconnect between them taking
responsibility for their drivers

Isn't there a disconnect by design - it's what their business model is
all about?

They aren't a minicab company, they are simply a booking site.
--
Roland Perry

Uber drivers commit most minicab offences in London
 

In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message
-septe
mber.org, at 09:59:30 on Sun, 20 Aug 2017, Recliner
remarked:

Billany said he had concerns with Uber as an operator, adding: I am
seeing an increasing amount of my team_s workload relating directly
to them . . . there seems to be a disconnect between them taking
responsibility for their drivers

Isn't there a disconnect by design - it's what their business model
is all about?

They aren't a minicab company, they are simply a booking site.

That's what a minicab company is in the UK.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Uber drivers commit most minicab offences in London
 

wrote:
In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message
-septe
mber.org, at 09:59:30 on Sun, 20 Aug 2017, Recliner
remarked:

Billany said he had concerns with Uber as an operator, adding: I am
seeing an increasing amount of my team_s workload relating directly
to them . . . there seems to be a disconnect between them taking
responsibility for their drivers

Isn't there a disconnect by design - it's what their business model
is all about?

They aren't a minicab company, they are simply a booking site.

That's what a minicab company is in the UK.

Some minicab companies do provide the cars, but I suspect the drivers are
still self-employed or on zero hours contracts.

Uber drivers commit most minicab offences in London
 

In message , at 06:23:49
on Sun, 20 Aug 2017, remarked:

Billany said he had concerns with Uber as an operator, adding: I am
seeing an increasing amount of my team_s workload relating directly
to them . . . there seems to be a disconnect between them taking
responsibility for their drivers

Isn't there a disconnect by design - it's what their business model
is all about?

They aren't a minicab company, they are simply a booking site.

That's what a minicab company is in the UK.

Not every minicab firm is quite so hands-off. Like having no fleet
insurance.
--
Roland Perry

The minicab firms which have fleet insurance do so because
they provide the cars. They charge the drivers for the insurance
just as they charge for the vehicles. I'm not aware of any minicab
firm having fleet insurance for drivers who provide their own vehicles.
I don't see how it could be legal anyway as the minicab firm would
not have an insurable interest.

The obligation on such minicab firms is to check that their drivers
have valid insurance and to refuse to give them any work until they
have proof of valid insurance. This is where Uber seem to be grossly
at fault. If the police have found that some Uber drivers do not have
insurance, TfL now have a compelling reason to revoke Uber's license
to operate as a minicab firm in London. TfL should also, of course,
revoke the drivers' licences.

Uber drivers commit most minicab offences in London
 

In message , at 23:46:48 on Sun, 20
Aug 2017, Robin9 remarked:

The minicab firms which have fleet insurance do so because
they provide the cars. They charge the drivers for the insurance
just as they charge for the vehicles. I'm not aware of any minicab
firm having fleet insurance for drivers who provide their own vehicles.

I don't see how it could be legal anyway as the minicab firm would
not have an insurable interest.

Perhaps the word is "group policy" then.

The obligation on such minicab firms is to check that their drivers
have valid insurance and to refuse to give them any work until they
have proof of valid insurance. This is where Uber seem to be grossly
at fault. If the police have found that some Uber drivers do not have
insurance, TfL now have a compelling reason to revoke Uber's license
to operate as a minicab firm in London. TfL should also, of course,
revoke the drivers' licences.

--
Roland Perry

It seems TfL are prepared to revoke an operator's license as
long as it's not Uber . . .

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/11-17-taxify.pdf

Uber drivers commit most minicab offences in London
 

"Robin9" wrote in message
...

It seems TfL are prepared to revoke an operator's license as
long as it's not Uber . . .

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/11-17-taxify.pdf

the offence is somewhat more egregious though

tim

Perhaps I spoke too soon.

The Huffington Post is reporting that TfL will not renew Uber's
Operator's Licence when it expires at the end of this month
(September). I can't for some reason post a link that works.
I'll probably receive an email from TfL about this in the next
day or so.

Less than that: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/pr...london-limited