On Saturday, 23 September 2017 12:27:43 UTC+1, DRH wrote:
On Friday, 22 September 2017 11:18:38 UTC+1, Recliner wrote:
TfL has concluded the ride-hailing app firm was not fit and proper to hold
a private hire operator licence.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41358640

I wonder if the recent announcement of the impending retirement of the TFL Commissioner for Surface Transport and the withdrawal of Uber's licence are in some way connected.

DRH

There is no such job at TfL. The Commissioner is Mike Brown. If you referring to Leon Daniels then he is the Managing Director of Surface Transport. I keep seeing references to alleged "connections" between events or between Leon and certain companies which are borderline smears. As I have said elsewhere if people think Leon is crooked and have evidence thereof then go to the Police with said evidence. Otherwise people should really not make such "suggestions", or in the case of some people on social media, libellous slurs. It doesn't take the debate anywhere to be chucking muck around.

There is an excellent article about Uber on the London Reconnections blog which sets out where Uber have come from, issues they've had in the States and here and why those issues have TfL (and the Mayor) pause for thought. People seem not to realise that Uber were given 4 months to put things right or to at least present a plan that would get them into compliance. These issues are not new and I suspect, given Uber's culture and "way of doing things", that it thought TfL were bluffing and even if they weren't they could ignore what was going on and "hang the Mayor" in the court of social media opinion. Well they were wrong weren't they. This isn't the US, TfL aren't some tin pot council or State department and the Mayor isn't someone who can be ignored. Obviously we will see what happens with the court appeal case and what evidence TfL present but Uber remain in business until the legal process concludes which could be months away.

Personally they can close down tomorrow for all I care. Taking tens of thousands of cars off the streets would do wonders for congestion.

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Paul C
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