Uber currently classifies its around 50,000 drivers in Britain as self-employed, affording them only basic entitlements, whilst employees also receive rights such as sick pay and the minimum wage.
Asked about how much it would cost in National Insurance payments if self-employed drivers were directly employed, the firm’s UK Head of Policy Andrew Byrne told parliament’s business committee:
“I don’t have the precise figures ... but I‘m certain it would be the tens of millions certainly.”
Also appearing before lawmakers, Deliveroo’s UK and Ireland Managing Director Dan Warne said additional costs including National Insurance contributions, would add around 1 pound ($1.32) to the cost of each hour.
National Insurance is collected by the government and helps pay for the state health service, pensions and certain other benefits.
Firms operating in the so-called gig economy - whereby people tend to work for different companies without a fixed contract - have been criticized by unions and some lawmakers for what they call exploitative practices.
Uber and Deliveroo both say their drivers enjoy the flexibility they offer but last year two drivers won a tribunal hearing against Uber and were granted worker rights, in a decision which the Silicon Valley firm appealed last month.
Uber’s Byrne said on Tuesday he expected the judge to make a ruling by around Christmas.
Uber is also battling to overturn a decision by London’s transport regulator to strip the smartphone app of its license in the British capital. It has until Friday to lodge an appeal.
Byrne said he could hopefully see a way to address concerns by London’s transport regulator, which cited the firm’s approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers.
“Hopefully we can see a path forward now with TfL (Transport for London) where we can address their concerns and continue to operate,” he said.
http://reut.rs/2kDbvkB
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CAMBRIDGE
A 10p rise in basic starting tariffs and a £1 charge for carrying bikes in taxis will be dicided by the council on Monday next week.
A consultation with the industry and customers has ended.
Proposals could also mean that taxis are required to carry card machines and cctv cameras, that rear-loading wheelchair vehicles be available and that a colour requirement come into play that could see all Hackney Cabs turn Cambridge Blue.
Cllr Gerri Bird, chair of the licensing committee, said: “We were pleased to have received many responses from members of the taxi trade and interested parties to our consultations on taxi fares and the taxi licensing policy.
“We will now use this feedback to help us decide whether or not to make the proposed changes. Both the taxi fares table and the taxi licensing policy are important mechanisms for ensuring that Cambridge’s taxi service continues to be safe, efficient and accessible for all.”
The council is responsible for licensing all taxi proprietors and operators in Cambridge, as well as Hackney carriage, private hire and dual drivers.
http://bit.ly/2y9Ef9X
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GRIMSBY
A woman has warned people about the dangers of fake taxis after a bogus cab driver sexually assaulted her during a frightening car journey that left her hysterical.
The 30-year-old Grimsby woman wanted to go home after a night out and put her hand up to hail what she wrongly thought was a taxi.
The fake cabbie was driving round, seemingly on the lookout for women, and "tried it on with her sexually" before touching her in an "abhorrent" way.
He has been jailed at Grimsby Crown Court for nine months.
Mounir Megherbi, 29, of Heneage Road, Grimsby, admitted sexual assault on March 27 last year.
Andrew Bailey, prosecuting, said the woman had been on a night out with friends and tried to telephone for a taxi in the early hours so she could go home but she had no luck.
Two cars drove past her and she put up her hand to stop one of them, thinking that it was a taxi.
She got in and, still believing that it was a taxi, sat in the front seat.
The car drove off and Megherbi told her: "You're too pretty to be round here. Why are you in Freeman Street?"
He started touching her leg and she tried to push him away.
She told him: "Oh no, I'm just having a good night."
The woman telephoned her boyfriend and sent him a text saying: "A taxi driver is touching me."
The driver tried to push his hand up her bare leg and asked her: "Isn't it okay? Why isn't it okay?"
He eventually got annoyed with her and asked: "Why are you ringing somebody? Who are you ringing?"
Megherbi stopped the car near Grimsby Institute and told her: "You're getting out of my car."
He ejected her from the vehicle, leaving her hysterical and upset and shaken.
A genuine taxi driver picked her up and a message was posted on Facebook to try to warn other people.
Megherbi was arrested and later told police that he ran a pizza shop and lived at the time in Cleethorpes.
He claimed that people used to come up to him asking if he was a taxi because his car looked like a taxi.
He admitted that he had taken people home and tried to pretend that he was a taxi.
Richard Hackfath, mitigating, said Megherbi was emotional, concerned and remorseful about the matter.
"His primary motivation for being out on the streets that night was to make money as an unlicensed taxi driver," said Mr Hackfath.
"She got into the vehicle rather than him targetting her. It was a very unpleasant offence against a completely blameless complainant.
http://bit.ly/2g0qjVg
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LONDON
Via, an Israeli-founded taxi app that's raised a reported $200 million (£152 million) from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, is ready to launch in London.
The Uber rival has hired a team of people and contacted thousands of drivers about working for the platform.
But the company is struggling to get an operating licence from Transport for London (TfL), which has been busy deciding whether to renew Uber's licence over the last few months. It decided not to renew it on September 22.
Luca Parducci, Via's general manager in London, told Business Insider: "We applied five months ago in April. Usually the application process takes eight weeks maximum. We had no indication that it would take longer than that.
"So we went through the whole process and started recruiting a team, which I'm part of, opened an office, started registering the interest of thousands of drivers that can't wait to work with us," continued Parducci, a former executive at travel booking website HotelTonight.
"In the process with TfL, we've provided additional information on our product, our company, our processes, and basically answers to all the questions that they had. Now we're basically ready to start. We're only missing the approval and licence from TfL."
London_Via_App The Via app being held up in Westminster, close to TfL's headquarters. Via
Via's app is a ride-sharing service that allows people to catch a ride with other people going in the same direction. It's similar in many respects to UberPool, which is the Uber service that allows people to do the same thing.
The app was launched in New York City before expanding to Chicago and Washington D.C. Now the company wants to launch in its first European city.
Via is focused on getting the London licence but the company could start to consider other cities if TfL doesn't start to process its application. The company's website shows that it is looking to hire general mangers in Berlin and Rome.
"It's been frustrating to experience these delays because normally it'll take less time than this and we really can’t wait to bring this service to London," said Parducci.
A TfL spokesperson said: "Our regulation of London's taxi and private hire trades is designed to ensure passenger safety. Private hire operators must meet rigorous regulations, and demonstrate to TfL that they do so, in order to operate. TfL must also be satisfied that an operator is fit and proper to hold a licence. We do not comment on individual licence applications."
Uber said it plans to appeal TfL's decision not to renew its licence and it has started a petition which now has over 850,000 signatures.
Other competitors in London include MyTaxi, Gett, Addison Lee, and the traditional black cab service.
http://read.bi/2y40eiM
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YORK
THE man who snatched a cab from the taxi rank at York Railway Station and crashed it on the A64 had escaped from lawful custody, it has been revealed.
Luke Dean Michael Kilminster, 31, smashed a window at York Hospital where he was being held on September 27.
He made his way to York Railway Station where he took a Ford Mondeo as the owner was helping a customer with her luggage.
As he continued his getaway down Tadcaster Road and headed west along the A64, Kilminster crashed it into at least one other vehicle on the dual carriageway and damaged the taxi.
Kilminster, of Elm Court, Helmsley, pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody at York Hospital and criminal damage to a window at the hospital. It cost £500 to repair the window.
He also admitted taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and that the offence was aggravated by him driving it dangerously on the A64 and crashing two vehicles.
He admitted he didn’t have a licence to drive the taxi and didn’t have insurance for his journey.
York magistrates decided the case was too serious for them to deal with and sent him to York Crown Court for sentence.
http://bit.ly/2wMmV7d
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SNAPCHAT + UBERK
Snapchat has started rolling out a new feature that encourages users to be inspired and act spontaneously based on their friends' Snaps.
The new feature, known as Context Cards, integrates services from the likes of TripAdvisor, Uberk and OpenTable into Snapchat, allowing users to book a table at a restaurant or order a cab without leaving the app.
The idea, it seems, is that you see a Snap of your friends eating a delicious meal at a nearby restaurant, and using Context Cards you can read a review of the restaurant and book a table for the following week - or jump straight in an Uberk and join them.
"Every day our community uses Snapchat to see more of the world around them," explained Snap.
"Now, with Context Cards, Snaps can transform from visual stories into launchpads for more information and actions."
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