Transport for London's (TfL) announcement that it will lift the exemption on congestion charge for private hire vehicles will hit minicab drivers on poverty wages while doing little to address London's air pollution problem.

This policy will see below minimum wage precarious workers, already denied their worker rights, now lose as much as 25%, according to an analysis by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain's (IWGB) United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD) branch.

TfL's own impact analysis showed a disproportionate impact on poor and BME workers with 71% of TfL licensed minicab drivers hailing from designated deprived areas and 94% identifying as BME. Len Duvall, Leader of the Labour Group in the London Assembly blasted the policy as discriminatory before the London Assembly voted to reject this policy by a margin of 16-3.

A better alternative to this policy would have been to levy the congestion charge tax directly on the consumer or the operator who can pass on the charge to the consumer. But in its current form, drivers have no option to pass on the charge and operators like Addison Lee have already indicatedthat they will pass the charge to the driver but not the consumer.

The only effective way to reduce the impact of private hire vehicles on the environment is for TfL to stop runaway licensing and follow the lead of New York City, where the number of minicabs were capped while setting a minimum wage target for operators like Uber.

In a meeting in October with Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling, Dara Khosrowshahi indicated that he would prefer to see a congestion charge, even if had a regressive impact on poor drivers, than a cap which he said was: “the wrong way to regulate the market and an inappropriate market intervention by the government”

Abdura Razzak Hadi, chair of the London committee of the IWGB's UPHD branch said: "It's time for the Mayor of London to stop putting the vested interests of global mega-corporations and wealthy London consumers ahead of precarious workers suffering sweatshop conditions. The only solution to London's congestion is to cap and reduce private hire vehicles and to protect the worker rights of minicab drivers. The Mayor has done little for the former and nothing of the latter.”

Source; Taxipoint.co.uk
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COVENTRY council granting a licence to an app-based taxi service is a welcome change of direction after leaders’ long campaign against Uber, opposition councillors claim.

The council’s licensing and regulatory committee yesterday granted a private hire licence to eCars – which can be booked on apps on people’s mobile phones.

Committee member Councillor Tim Mayer (Conservative) said it was a departure from the Labour-run council “blocking progress in the taxi industry”.

Labour councillors have campaigned against the out-of-town licensing of app-based Uber taxis seen on Coventry streets – mainly by Wolverhampton council – which they accuse of undercutting Coventry council-licensed black cabs.

Uber has long contested claims it cuts corners on passenger safety, training, driver checks and other regulation, and it has proved a popular cheaper service with customers across the country.

The campaign was until recently spearheaded by former city services cabinet member, Councilllor Jayne Innes.

Coun Tim Mayer said: “This has opened the door to more companies like Uber and Ola being allowed to apply for a private hire operator’s licence in the city.

“I am really pleased that the ruling group have finally performed this welcome but embarrassing u-turn on their previously confused position.

“This is a good move that may encourage more people to leave their cars at home.”

The chair of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee, Labour councillor Christine Thomas, said the council changed its licensing policies earlier this year to enable it to embrace new technology.

She added: “We were delighted to approve the application from eCars. They had applied for a licence earlier this year which we could not approve until we had updated our policy to allow approval of app-based private hire companies.

“We were very impressed by eCars who already operate out of Birmingham Airport.

“As a committee we all wish to see new technology embraced, and that’s why the licensing policies were updated.”

Under new changes, passengers can also pay fares using contactless and card payments.

https://goo.gl/tJ2iMZ
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Detroit Flying Cars is one of the many hopefuls aiming to fly a car. The group suffered a setback as its owner and designer, Sanjay Dhall, tested its high-speed taxi and crashed in the early afternoon on December 14, 2018, at the Willow Run Airport (KYIP).

The aircraft crashed with a hard impact, ripping off the front section. He was transported to the University of Michigan. There is no news as to his condition.

So far, we know that Sanjay wasn’t trying take-off with the WD1. He was only testing a high-speed taxi test and only planning on lifting the front two wheels off the ground. Unfortunately, the WD-1 became airborne and hard crashed soon after.

https://goo.gl/NfgV29 
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