London Evening Standards. Letters.

The debate about the future of our black-taxi trade and the advent of new app-based providers such as Uber has, for too long, been played out as an argument between those who support competition and innovation and those who are clinging to the past. The reality is far more complicated.

London’s tech industry is a strength of our city and increased competition and new technology offers consumers great potential. But the explosion in the number of private- hire vehicles on London’s streets has led to too many drivers with insufficient insurance and poor training, leaving regulators running to catch up. It has also become clear that some operators are trying to beat their competition by offering lower fares while taking advantage of tax loopholes and offshore tax arrangements. This is unacceptable and if we are not careful, London’s iconic black cabs will be driven off the road by shoddy competitors.

My message is simple: insure your drivers, train your drivers and pay your taxes or get off our streets. That is why I have put forward proposals to Parliament that promote fair competition and passenger safety. Every Londoner should be able to get into a cab knowing that it is insured, that the driver is well trained and that the operator pays its fair share of taxes.

Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North

It is a scandal that at least one in 10 minicabs operating in the capital is uninsured and that Transport for London is allowed to get away with doing nothing about it. Last week, it ratified a new set of PHV regulations that do absolutely nothing to address the problem of uninsured minicabs picking up unsuspecting passengers across the capital.

Passenger safety is paramount, yet as a result of undue influence, TfL shied away from its regulatory responsibility. Operator insurance is the only way to guarantee minicabs are insured, yet TfL didn’t think it was worth introducing. It is playing Russian Roulette with Londoners’ safety.

It is the job of a regulator to ensure that markets are fair, encourage competition and clamp down on those who flout the rules. But TfL is encouraging a race to the bottom where the cheapest provider who takes on the least responsibility wins. Is that what we want?

Steve McNamara, general secretary, Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA)

While it is important for private- hire vehicles to be insured, any additional costs to drivers will not prevent Uber from blowing black cabs out of the water. Of course it is imperative to maintain the authenticity of London’s transport, but most Londoners won’t care about this. It is the convenience that makes Uber hugely successful, and providing it can keep its prices down, it will continue to trump the service offered by black-cab drivers.

WES STREETING  MP.

Today in Parliament

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