SUNDERLAND SSSSSNAKE !

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 The London mayor is seeking powers to limit the number of Uber drivers operating in the capital, blaming a surge in private hire drivers for the city’s increasing congestion and pollution.

Sadiq Khan said a cap on new licences was an urgent and necessary step. But unlike New York, which announced a cap last week, he is unable to impose restrictions.

Khan urged the government to grant him powers to limit the “unsustainable rise” in drivers to “enable Londoners, like New Yorkers, to breathe better air and live in a less congested city”.

On Tuesday, New York City – Uber’s largest American market – signed into law a one-year moratorium on new licences for vehicles used for ride-hailing services, effectively capping the number of Uber drivers in the city, and also setting a minimum wage for app-based drivers.

The number of licensed private hire drivers in London has almost doubled in less than a decade, from 59,000 in 2009-10 to 114,000 in 2017-18, while the number of black-cab drivers has fallen from 25,000 to just under 24,000.

About 45,000 drivers work for Uber in London, according to the company. Khan said drivers’ livelihoods had also been affected by the rise in numbers.

Uber recently won a 15-month licence to continue operating in London, after its attempt to renew a five-year licence was refused by Transport for London last September.

https://goo.gl/cNy4o2 
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UBERK CUT LOSSES TO A MERE $300 MILLION A MONTH

Just over a year after Travis Kalanick was ousted as chief executive of Uber, the ride-hailing company released new financial results that showed continued growth and narrowing losses as it advances toward an initial public offering.

On Wednesday, Uber posted a loss of $891 million for the second quarter, compared with a loss of more than $1 billion during the same period a year earlier. The company took in $12.01 billion in gross bookings in the quarter — or the amount of passenger fares and food delivery fees — up 41 percent from a year ago. After paying out fees to drivers, revenue was $2.7 billion. When Uber turned a profit last quarter because it offloaded businesses in Russia and Southeast Asia, it cautioned that that bump would not last because it planned to reinvest the money.

Uber is not required to disclose earnings because it is privately held, but it has made a habit of publicly releasing its numbers. Investors are closely scrutinizing Uber’s financials because the company is one of the world’s most highly valued private firms, at $62 billion, and is preparing to go public by the end of 2019. Its I.P.O. is expected to be one of the biggest ever for a tech company.

https://goo.gl/kPvLhE 
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 SUNDERLAND 

  A TAXI driver jailed for sexually assaulting a child has been told he can continue working – at a meeting held behind closed doors.

Sandwell councillors allowed the unnamed man to continue driving despite guidelines recommending people convicted for sex offences be barred from holding a private hire licence.

Members of the licensing subcommittee made the decision at its meeting in July from which the public and press were excluded.

Minutes of the meeting released this week only refer to the driver as ‘Mr S G’ and exclude any information which identifies him.

The secrecy surrounding the decision has been criticised by the chairman of the West Midlands Private Hire Drivers Association (WPHDA), who called for committees to be open to the public.

The conviction for sexual assault was revealed when councillors reviewed Mr S G’s license.

They were told in November 1999, he was convicted of indecent assault on a female under 14 and was jailed for three months by Warley Magistrates.

Speaking at the committee, Mr S G said he was at a fun fair and had sat next to a young girl.

Denying he touched her, he said the child reported him to the police and he was charged.

After adjourning to take legal advice, councillors decided to allow him to keep his licence and “warn Mr S G in respect of his conduct and the effect any further problems may have on his licence”.
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The minutes also show the committee’s decision to depart from guidelines on sexual offences was “due to the length of time that had lapsed since the conviction, his good driving record and good character”.

Adding: “Mr S G had held a licence for 12 years and had not received any further convictions.”

But Raheel Shah, chairman of WPHDA, has criticised the decision and the secrecy surrounding it.

“No one with a conviction for sexual assault should be given a taxi licence, “ he said.

“I think meetings of this kind should be open so the public can see what is going on.”

In a statement, Sandwell Council admitted it knew of Mr S G’s conviction when they originally issued him a licence in 2007.

Explaining it’s decision, a spokesman said:  “Sandwell’s private hire and hackney carriage licensing policy, introduced in October 2017, requires existing licence holders who committed a serious offence in the past who have been previously licensed by the committee or officers or court to appear before the committee to consider whether or not their licence should be revoked.

“The licensing committee will consider each case on its merits and take into account the length of time that has elapsed since the conviction and the drivers conduct and the length of time the licence holder has held a licence.

“The public and press are excluded from the hearing of individual cases. This is to avoid the possible disclosure of exempt information under Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, relating to an individual and or information relating to any action taken or to be taken in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime.

“The private hire and hackney carriage licensing regime, governed by the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, does not provide the public with any opportunity to object to the licensing of a driver upon application or review of a licence and it does not provide the licensing authority with the power to consider such objections.

“The licensing authority can and does consider complaints about individual drivers and operators from any member of the public about the service that they have received or any other reasonable concerns and will take action where appropriate.”

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