Licensing warning after Uber is spotted in Tunbridge Wells

THE council has warned members of the public not to get into unlicensed taxis after Ubers were reported to be operating in Tunbridge Wells.

Uber, the app-based taxi operator that lets you book taxis on your mobile phone, is not licensed to operate in the town, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] has warned.

The council say they have received reports of Ubers operating illegally in the area, and want to make clear the taxi-app company is not licensed to operate in the town.

Councillor Bob Backhouse, chair of the licensing committee added: “Uber is not licensed in the borough and has not made an application to the council’s licensing service.

“There is a clear safety message here and that is that taxi and private hire users should make sure they only use licensed vehicles.”

Uber was founded in 2009 and arrived in the UK in 2012 but not without controversy.

The company has fought off allegations of sexual harassment which led to the ride-hailing app being stripped of its operating licence in London in 2017. This ban was, however, overturned last year.

It currently operates in around 40 towns and cities across the UK, but Tunbridge Wells is not one of them.
Licensed taxi drivers in Tunbridge Wells said if Uber were allowed to operate in the borough, it could lead to a number of licensed taxi drivers going out of business.

Chairman of Tunbridge Wells Hackney Carriages, Shujaullah Baraki said: “Nobody should get in a taxi that is unlicensed, and if Uber were allowed to operate here they would not be good for the taxi business.

“I am against Uber coming to Tunbridge Wells, as are a lot of taxi drivers as it will lose us our jobs.”

He said taxi operators in the borough have to pay around £360 a year for a taxi licence and £370 for a badge, along with other required payments such as DVLA and criminal record checks, a MOT every six months, and medical examinations.

Uber said they have recently taken measures that should prevent drivers from operating across boundaries.

A spokesperson for the Sanf Francisco app company said: “We recognise there have been concerns about private hire journeys crossing jurisdictional boundaries.

“Last year we introduced changes that means drivers are only able to use our app within the region where they are licensed as a private hire driver.

“We continue to work closely with local councils on this issue.”

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The government has announced it is investing £37 million in UK electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

The money is to be spread across twelve different projects, including solar-powered forecourts, underground charging systems and wireless chargers.

Other projects to receive funding include the installation of chargers in car parks for overnight use, a project using Virgin Media infrastructure to help manage charging, and a project to deliver semi-rapid charging using a low power grid connection, minimising the need for substation upgrades.

The news comes on the one year anniversary of the government's Road to Zero strategy.

Future of mobility minister Michael Ellis said: "We're charging up the transport revolution and investing in technologies to transform the experience for electric vehicle drivers.

"Ensuring the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is reliable and innovative is encouraging more people to join the record numbers of ultra-low emission vehicle users already on UK roads."

The announcement has been welcomed by the BVRLA, which is also marking a year since it launched its own Plug-in Pledge, which committed the vehicle leasing, rental and car club industry to making 300,000 plug-in vehicle registrations per year in 2025.

Director of external relations Toby Poston said: "The pledge we launched last July saw us commit to increase the BVRLA's combined plug-in fleet from 50,000 vehicles to 720,000 in 2025. We are pleased to report that we are on track, with growth of 40% taking the combined fleet to 70,000 plug-in vehicles by the end of 2018.

"The government acknowledges the vital role our industry plays in delivering cleaner road transport. BVRLA members are currently responsible for around 35% of the UK's plug-in electric vehicles, but this figure can be far greater with the right incentives and support for fleets.

"Our recent Road to Zero Report Card report set out a number of recommendations to government on charging infrastructure. These included providing more funding and support to eliminate the UK's rapid public charge point 'blackspots' and the need to mandate universal methods of access and payment."

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