Court battle ‘inevitable’ over TfL decision on Uber licence

A battle between Uber and black taxis over the app-based giant’s licence to operate in London is heading for the courts, it emerged today.

Both sides have lawyers on standby to seek a judicial review if the decision goes against them.
Transport for London, headed by Mayor Sadiq Khan, will announce by the end of this month whether Uber should be allowed to stay in the  capital. The issue is a political hot potato for Mr Khan, although his  officials say he is personally not involved in the decision.

Expelling Uber would delight critics of the company’s business methods — amid claims of alleged sex attacks by drivers — but could backfire with the public who have come to rely on cheaper rides.

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, called Uber “an exploitative company” and said a legal fight looked inevitable. Tom Elvidge, Uber’s general manager in the capital, said 3.5 million Londoners regularly use the app.

TfL refused to comment on the  review of Uber’s licence, which expires on September 30.

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ILLINOIS. USA

An Uber driver claimed that 19 kilos of cocaine found in his car during a tollway traffic stop do not belong to him, prosecutors said.

Carlos Meza Gonzalez, 34, appeared before Cook County Judge Peter Felice on a Class X felony charge of manufacture and delivery of cocaine, and possession of a controlled substance. The judge said he considered the large quantity of cocaine “a danger to the community.”

According to the charges, Illinois State Police noticed stopped Meza Gonzalez for speeding around around 5:52 p.m. Sept. 12, in the southbound lane of I-294 in Lyons Township.

The state trooper found 12 bundles in a brown box with the letter “C” stamped on it, along with more bundles in a plastic bag, the prosecutor said.

Meza Gonzalez is alleged to have told police that someone he didn’t known must have placed the contraband in his car. In total, the prosecutor said police found 19.1 kilos in the vehicle.

“Did the 'C' stand for cocaine,” Judge Felice asked. "How much is that in pounds?"
“About 47 to 48 pounds,” the prosecutor said, adding that the street value of the drugs was $876,000.

The assistant public defender told the judge that Meza Gonzalez works full time as an Uber driver. He has no prior criminal background. If convicted of the Class X felony charge, Meza Gonzalez faces a mandatory minimum or six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

“Do you realize the impact this would have if this amount of cocaine had gotten to the wrong people, and it surely would have gone to the wrong people, not to saying he's guilty,” Judge Felice said.

Bail was set at $750,000. The judge wanted a source of funds should Meza Gonzalez bond out.

He also ordered Meza Gonzalez to wear a GPS tracking device if he is released from jail. Meza Gonzalez is due back in court Oct.9 in Bridgeview.

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(Reuters) - A sweeping investigation by the city of Portland, Oregon, found that Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] used a software tool to intentionally evade 16 government officials whose job it was to regulate the ride-services company, city officials said on Thursday.

When Uber began operating in Portland in December 2014, it did not have any permits, so it used a software tool it had created called Greyball to block regulators from booking rides. Uber stopped using the software after it received approval to operate its service in Portland in April 2015.

The city imposed no fines or other penalties but transportation officials have recommended that the city ramp up enforcement efforts.

“We have ensured that no attempts to evade regulators or deny service to riders” will be allowed in the future, Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman said in a statement.

Portland launched its investigation after the New York Times reported in March that Uber used Greyball to evade government officials in areas where its service had not yet been approved, such as Portland, Boston, Paris and Las Vegas, and in countries such as Australia, China, Italy and South Korea.

Greyball allowed Uber to ignore or cancel ride requests from locations near enforcement agencies and from accounts with credit cards believed to belong to government workers. The tool also allowed Uber to show that no cars were available.

Portland found that when Uber started operating in the city in December 2014, the company used Greyball to block 17 rider accounts, 16 of which belonged to government officials, and deny 29 ride requests by city transportation enforcement officers.

“In using Greyball, Uber has sullied its own reputation,” the Portland Bureau of Transportation wrote in its report.

A spokesman for Uber said the company was “pleased the investigation was closed” and “will continue working in partnership with the City of Portland.”

Following the Times story, Uber acknowledged the existence of Greyball and said it would put a stop to using the technology to target regulators.
The U.S. Department of Justice also opened a criminal investigation into Greyball, sources said in May.

Greyball is just one of a string of scandals Uber has weathered this year, including allegations of sexual harassment and a lawsuit threatening its self-driving car business.

Uber’s main U.S. rival, Lyft, also cooperated with the Portland investigation, but regulators found no evidence Lyft had engaged in similar tactics.

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LIVERPOOL

 A teenage boy was among five people arrested on suspicion of drug and money laundering offences after a private hire taxi was stopped in Kirkdale .
Police also seized drugs and cash after pulling the vehicle over in Swindon Street on Wednesday night.

At around 7.10pm, Matrix officers stopped the private hire taxi after it was seen "travelling at high speed" on Commercial Road.

People in the car were searched and a large amount of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of £40,000 and around £2,000 in cash were recovered.

The occupants of the taxi, a 43-year-old woman from Kirkdale, a 34-year-old man from Anfield and a 14-year-old boy from Anfield, were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs and money laundering.

A further search of an address in Priory Road, Anfield led to the recovery of further suspected cocaine and cannabis and two more arrests.

And police arrested a 24-year-old woman from Anfield on suspicion of possession of Class A and Class B drugs, and a 39-year-old man from Anfield on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs.

All five people have been taken to a police station for interview by detectives.

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TAUNTON

PEOPLE'S safety is being put at risk by some hard-up taxi drivers in Taunton working more than 100 hours a week, according to a cabbie of 33 years' experience.

Taunton Deane Taxi Owners Association vice-chairman Martin Jones, of Lightnings Taxis, said the trade has been flooded by people looking for work since the economic downturn.

He was speaking ahead of next Wednesday's (September 20) Taunton Deane Borough Council licensing committee meeting, which will decide whether to limit the number of cabs permitted in the district.

"Most of us feel it should never have been completely opened up to allow a limitless number of drivers," said Mr Jones.

"I pay £630 a year to wait at the railway station - I had three jobs for less than £16 from 8.15am to 12.30pm today and the guys in town aren't doing as well as that.

"I run a couple of cars and also do work for Somerset County Council and schools and without that I wouldn't be running.

"There are far too many taxis because when the going gets tough and people lose their jobs, they think they can make money quick by driving a taxi."

Mr Jones would like to see a cap on the number of taxi licences issued by the council.

He added: "There were 33 taxis when I started 33 years ago. Now there are 197 and it's extremely hard out there.

"Some people are doing 14 or 18 hours a day six of seven days a week. It isn't safe."

Deane House licensing manager John Rendell, in a report to the meeting recommending maintaining the current position, said limiting the number of taxis could results in less competition, poorer availability in outlying villages and higher fares.
He said the county town's largest taxi rank in Corporation Street is "often over-capacity at peak times", with cabs queuing on double yellow lines as far back as the Mecca Bingo hall.

There are also issues of drivers parking up outside Zinc nightclub, in Bridge Street, with some of them performing U-turns at speed while members of the public cross the road", according to the police.

The report says PC Andy Beake supports putting a limit on taxi numbers, claiming it would make Taunton safer for other drivers and pedestrians.

The council ran a survey costing £7,650 last year, which concluded that unmet demand for hackney carriages in Taunton Deane "is not significant".

A large chunk of that bill will be met by increasing drivers' licensing application fees by £7.

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