For Aberdeen read Uberdeen after the controversial taxi firm was granted a licence to operate in the Granite City. It has become the third city in Scotland after Glasgow and Edinburgh to license Uber, which is currently appealing to the English courts after it was refused a new licence in London on safety grounds.

Last month, City of York Council also refused to renew Uber’s private hire licence after the company, which operates via a smartphone app linking potential hirers and drivers, was at the centre of concerns about the 2016 data breach that saw the theft of information about tens of thousands of users.

In December, the European Court of Justice ruled that Uber is a taxi firm despite the company’s claims that it is a tech platform, and that it must accept tighter regulation and licensing rules.

Aberdeen City Council confirmed that Uber has been granted a licence under delegated powers by council officials. However, the local authority has imposed tough conditions.

Although councillors were not involved in the decision, and no complaints have been made by the public against the Uber application, officials have effectively made it impossible for a driver to turn up and start working for Uber without stringent checks and tests.

Councillor John Reynolds, the convener of the council’s licensing committee, said: “Drivers will have to go through the street knowledge test and police checks, and the vehicles have to be inspected.

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OXFORD

A TAXI driver had to undergo 10 hours of surgery and is still in a serious condition after a crash with a police car.

Go Green Taxis said that one of its drivers, Neil Chalmers, was involved in the crash on January 2 on the A4130 near Crowmarsh Hill.

The police car was responding to an emergency call when it collided with Mr Chalmers’ taxi and another vehicle at about 11.40am.

In a statement, Go Green said “Neil Chalmers is in a serious condition and undertook 10 hours of surgery.

“We have been in constant contact with Neil and his family during this difficult time.

“He would like to say thank you for the outpouring of love that he has received, please be assured that we will pass on any messages of goodwill to Neil.

“We wish all that were involved in this accident a speedy recovery and thoughts are with the families during this tough time.”

Two police officers were also taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital following the crash and remain is a serious but stable condition.

The driver of the third vehicle was treated for minor injuries.

South Central Ambulance Service sent six vehicles to the scene to help the injured, who were trapped in their cars.

An independent investigation into the incident has been launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following a mandatory referral.

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