Boris Johnson’s relationship with the capital’s black cab trade has become further troubled after the Sun and Daily Mail newspapers released a video showing the mayor of London on his bicycle telling a taxi driver “to fuck off and die – and not in that order”.

The exchange in Islington, north London, was caught on camera by a passerby.

The driver, one of many black cab operators furious at the way Transport for London, overseen by the mayor, has allowed Uber drivers to undermine their trade shouted at Johnson: “You’re one of them mate. That’s what you are. One of them.”

The footage shows Johnson replying: “Why don’t you fuck off and die, why don’t you fuck off and die – and not in that order.”

The cabbie then drives away yelling: “Yeah bollocks, I hope you die.”

Johnson is easily identifiable wearing a distinctive yellow helmet with his trademark blonde hair poking out at the sides and a charcoal suit.

A source close to the mayor said: “Boris has dozens of chance conversations with Londoners every week. Many are productive and friendly, some are colourful, I know most end happily. I believe this particular cabbie however is a serial heckler.”

It is difficult to know if the exchange will confirm Johnson’s admired status as someone apart from mainstream politics or instead the sight of him hurling abuse in public will make voters think he lacks the gravitas and restraint to be prime minister.

Johnson, now an MP, is clearly waiting to challenge for the leadership against the chancellor, George Osborne, when David Cameron resigns.

The general secretary of LTDA (Licenced Taxi Drivers Association) laughed off news of the heated exchange that took place as Johnson was cycling down St John Street in Islington, north London, at just after 12.20am on Friday 5 June.

Behind the row is a serious dispute between the black cabs and the Conservative party over the extent to which they are willing to let Uber take over the business of black cabs by undercutting their fares.

The black cab trade claims Uber does not pay taxes and uses unlicensed drivers who come to London from outside the capital for three days and lack any knowledge of London’s streets, relying instead on satnavs to get them around the city.

By contrast the black cab drivers say they have learned the knowledge over four years and provide a superior service. The black cab trade also says that the strategy of Uber is to undercut the prices of the licensed trade and then after destroying that trade raise its prices, with a monopoly and a lower level of service.

The mayor was told last month that London’s black cab trade would die “on his watch” if he didn’t change the laws to block the smartphone app.

At recent industry meeting he was accused of lacking “the guts” to stand up to Uber, which is blamed for putting hundreds of cabbies out of work in recent months.


http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jun/18/boris-johnson-filmed-swearing-taxi-driver-london-uber

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North Wales.

A woman who was found dead days after being raped by a fake taxi driver killed herself, a coroner has ruled.

Ceri Linden, 20, from Mochdre, Conwy county, took an overdose of tablets one week after she was attacked.

Coroner Nicola Jones recorded a verdict of suicide at an inquest in Llandudno on Wednesday.

In April, police said Miss Linden's powerful video interview with officers helped convict attacker Masood Mansouri "from beyond the grave".

Miss Linden flagged down a car she thought was a taxi after a night out in Chester on 10 August 2014 but Mansouri took her back to his home and attacked her.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-33172273
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Facing increasing pressure from the taxi industry, authorities in New York have begun to crack down on Uber — issuing tickets and seizing cars of Uber drivers who participate in illegal pickups in the city. 

Between April 29 and June 15, the New York Post reports that NYC authorities seized 496 cars from Uber drivers taking illegal street hails, mostly at the three airports in the region.  

Uber spokesman Matt Wing said that “street hails are not permitted on the Uber platform — period. This is a small group of bad actors and the violations add up to less than one hundredth of one percent of our rides over the same time period.” 

Airports are the last domestic frontier for Uber, and even in cities where the service is well-ingrained, it faces constant scrutiny. The seizures of Uber cars were part of a larger operation that confiscated a total of 938 for-hire vehicles operating illegally, according to Taxi and Limousine Commission spokesman Allan Fromberg.

“Our officers noted an uptick in illegal activity attributable to licensed for-hire vehicles acting outside their authority,” Fromberg told the Post. “And seizures have a greater deterrent value than summonses alone.” 

These small setbacks just don’t seem to add up for the five-year-old ride sharing company. The New York Times Magazine reported that the company is reimbursing its drivers who incur fines and tickets in Paris. And in China, it relies on huge driver subsidies to ensure customers are only billed at cost. 

Uber will soon face a major test in New York. Mayor Bill de Blasio will appear in court on June 22 to face allegations from four of the city’s largest taxi financiers that the city should not have permitted any passenger pick-ups through an app. They allege that an "e-hail" is synonymous with a traditional street hail, the exclusive domain of yellow cabs.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/york-city-seized-496-uber-150119443.html