MPs have called for taxi firm Uber to be stripped of its licence to operate in London after a string of controversies.

The cross-party group wrote a letter to Transport for London (TfL) urging it not to renew the firm’s licence when it expires at the end of the month.

The letter, signed by ten Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs, claims Uber is an ‘unfit and improper operator’ after police accused it of failing to report sex attacks on passengers by drivers.

MPs led by Labour MP Wes Streeting have demanded taxi firm Uber is stripped of its licence to operate in London in light of a string of recent controversies

Writing to the TfL Commissioner Mike Brown, Labour MP Wes Streeting said: ‘The safety of Londoners must be at the forefront of decisions taken about the taxi and private hire industry in our capital city. We do not believe that Uber has shown itself to be a fit and proper operator.’ It comes after the Metropolitan Police accused Uber of failing to reveal at least six sex attacks and an assault.

In the 12 months to February 2017, police recorded 48 allegations of sexual assault involving Uber drivers, reported only by passengers or via TfL.

Inspector Neil Billany accused Uber of being selective about the crimes it reported, only telling police about ‘less serious matters’.

Uber has also come under fire for failing to give drivers basic employee benefits.

In October an employment tribunal ruled its drivers should be classed as workers, not as self-employed. The decision, which it is appealing against, means Uber could be entitled to pay pensions and holiday leave.

In May TfL signalled its uncertainty over the taxi firm by only granting it a four-month licence following the expiration of its first five- year licence. A TfL spokesman said: ‘This will allow us to conclude our consideration of a five-year licence.’

The US-based company, which was originally licensed in London in 2012, has also raised eyebrows over its tax affairs – with claims it has avoided paying an estimated £40million in VAT by exploiting a legal but controversial loophole.

Taxi-hailing smartphone apps are supposed to pay 20 per cent VAT on booking fees.

A cross-party group, led by Mr Streeting, has written to Transport for London (TfL) urging it not to renew the smartphone taxi-booking firm’s licence when it expires at the end of the month
But Uber avoids this by treating its 40,000 UK drivers as separate businesses – most drivers earn less than the £85,000 a year threshold for VAT registration.

But two of its main rivals, Gett and Mytaxi, both said they do pay VAT on their fees.

Uber collects an estimated £200million a year in fares, meaning HMRC could be losing out on at least £40million a year in VAT, according to calculations by Reuters.

Politicians claim the practice is giving Uber an unfair advantage. The firm also cuts its taxes by channelling profits to the Netherlands.

In his letter, Mr Streeting, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Taxis, added: ‘Competition in the taxi and private hire industry is welcome, but it must be on a level playing field and the safety of passengers must be paramount.
The letter, signed by 10 Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs, claims Uber is an ‘unfit and improper operator’ after police accused it of failing to report sex attacks on passengers by drivers

‘In cities around the world, Uber has shown itself to be an unfit and improper operator.

‘It’s time that London followed cities in the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Bulgaria and Hungary by revoking Uber’s licence.’

Earlier this year, the Mail revealed how David Cameron and George Osborne allegedly told aides to lobby Boris Johnson against curbs on Uber.
When Mr Johnson was Mayor of London in September 2015 he threatened to curtail Uber’s activities.

He claimed that Uber drivers were breaking the law ‘in lots of minor ways’, which London’s authorities were unable to keep up with.
In the 12 months to February 2017, police recorded 48 allegations of sexual assault involving Uber drivers, reported only by passengers or via TfL

An Uber spokesman said: ‘More than 40,000 drivers rely on our app to make a living, with average fares last year of £15 an hour after our service fee. Drivers who use Uber are licensed by Transport for London and have been through the same enhanced background checks as black cab drivers.

‘Our technology goes further to enhance safety with every trip tracked and recorded by GPS and we employ former Met Police officers who work closely with the police.’

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UBERK, The Rats abandon ship

  Dara Khosrowshahi, the new chief executive officer at Uber Technologies Inc., laid out an initial set of plans during a staff meeting Tuesday to get the troubled ride-hailing company back on course.

He said his top priority was hiring a chief financial officer who can help the company balance its need to control spending with continued growth, said two people who listened to the presentation.

Khosrowshahi is also seeking a replacement for Uber’s longtime legal head though the topic didn’t come up at the meeting, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. Hours later, Chief Legal Officer Salle Yoo sent an email to employees, saying she would step down after helping Khosrowshahi find her successor.

Yoo has been in charge of Uber’s legal efforts for about five years. Although she was mostly successful in helping the company navigate tricky regulatory quandaries, the San Francisco company now faces a legal nightmare.

The issues include federal probes into potential foreign bribes and the use of software to thwart law enforcement stings, as well as lawsuits alleging mistreatment of drivers, mishandling of a rape victim’s medical records in India, trade-secrets theft and illicit efforts to sniff out information from competitors.

The announcement of Yoo’s departure was precipitated by a report Tuesday in technology website The Information, she said in the email obtained by Bloomberg. Yoo suggested she would take time off before going to work on a new venture. “Please know that I am enormously proud of the work that we have accomplished together,” she wrote.

Yoo’s exit wasn’t a surprise to insiders, who have grown concerned as Uber’s legal woes pile up. Joseph Spiegler, the global head of compliance who was tasked with ensuring Uber follows the law, also resigned recently. But Yoo’s position is a particularly vital role Khosrowshahi needs to fill, among many others. Executive turnover has been extensive this year, with the losses of the company’s president, two board members, and the heads of business, engineering, finance, policy, product and self-driving cars.

Khosrowshahi, the former Expedia Inc. CEO who took over Uber last week, told employees Tuesday he’s not convinced the company needs a chief operating officer, said a person who attended the meeting.

His predecessor, Travis Kalanick, had said he needed to find someone for that role to provide leadership help. Khosrowshahi, 48, reaffirmed that he wanted the board to bring on an independent chairman.

While financial discipline is a big objective for the new CEO, he said he doesn’t want it to come at the expense of market share. That’s easier said than done. Uber lost $645 million in the second quarter, even as its main U.S. competitor Lyft Inc. managed to add customers. Khosrowshahi said the path to regaining market share would be by improving the company’s reputation.

https://bloom.bg/2h2Wirt 

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  CONTROVERSIAL cab company Uber has withdrawn its application for a licence to operate in Bournemouth.

Councillors were due to consider the request at a meeting of the Licensing Board on September 12.
But the Daily Echo has since learned that Uber does not wish to proceed at this stage.

The company already has licences to operate in Poole, Southampton and Portsmouth.

It uses an app with GPS mapping and a cashless pay system but has been criticised in the past.
In some areas it has been accused of under-cutting established taxi services with low prices and unlicensed drivers.

 Its Poole licence was granted by a council officer under delegated powers, attracting criticism from some councillors.

Cllr Phil Eades said: "We don’t know if their drivers are properly licensed, we don’t know if they’ve had criminal records checks and we don’t know if they can even speak English.

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