London must choose between the chaotic Uber or its heavily-regulated but safe black cabs because the two cannot operate side by side, a Tory MP has warned.

Charles Walker said while cab drivers had to pass the Knowledge and undergo background and financial checks, technology start-up Uber was brazenly ignoring the rules and flooding the capital with mini-cab drivers.

He warned City Hall officials were having to deal with as many as 1,200 new mini-cab registrations every month, while Uber straightforwardly ignored most regulations.

Mr Walker said if Uber was preferred there should be a genuine free for all, releasing cab drivers from the current regulations on themselves and allowing them to put "any old piece of rubbish on the road". 

 Speaking in a late-night Commons adjournment debate, Mr Walker said: "For 400 years, London has recognised the need to have a properly-regulated and licensed taxi service. I suggest our illustrious predecessors were not fools in this matter.

"London can't have it both ways: it can try but it will end in tears."

Mr Walker said without the enforcement of regulations on all kinds of taxi, fares would rocket, cars would be unsafe, disability access would be hit and people would be less safe.

• In pictures: The history of the black cab

He said the enforcement officials had neither the resources nor the sanctions available to properly uphold the rules - telling MPs there should be the ability to get rule breakers off the roads for good.

The Broxbourne MP said there was currently no penalty for not meeting the rules.

"I want to be clear: I want to derive reassurance from a licensed and regulated black cab taxi trade. Of course, it's not a perfect trade but it's a very good one," he said.

"I want to know when my children are out in London, they will always have the option of easily finding a black cab to take them home or back to the place they are staying.

"And I want to know they will pay the price on the meter, not a meter price artificially inflated through surge pricing as Uber drivers did during the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis and in London by 300 per cent during last week's Tube strike. Thank you Uber, thank you for nothing.

"I want to know my children are being driven by a professional with four years' training because my children's safety is important to me."

He continued: "Why shouldn't fares be left to the discretion of the driver? Only the fools will be left to pay the higher rates and that's their punishment for being stupid, weak, old or frail.

"This is not the London I want to live in but unless we take regulatory enforcement seriously, I fear it is the one we are going to get." 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/11742993/London-must-choose-between-chaotic-Uber-and-black-cabs-says-MP.html
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 ROCHDALE

Two men took a taxi from Town Taxis in Rochdale to Belfield Road at around 1.30am on Wednesday


Two taxi drivers were assaulted and a taxi was stolen in two brutal late-night attacks.

Two men took a taxi from Town Taxis in Rochdale to Belfield Road at around 1.30am on Wednesday, July 15.

But on arriving at their destination, they threatened the driver with knives and forced him to get out of the vehicle before stealing his cash and mobile.

After an unsuccessful attempt to steal the taxi, the pair ran off in the direction of Albert Royds Street.

Shortly before 2.10am on the same night, two men got into a taxi on Brocklebank Road in Milnrow.

They suddenly told the driver to stop and demanded he hand over money before one of the men got out of the taxi, opened the driver’s door and punched him in the face.

The taxi driver got out of his vehicle and the second man cut his finger with a knife.

The men then stole the taxi, driving away in the direction of Albert Royds Street. The vehicle was later recovered in Oldham.

Two men aged 30 and 31 were arrested on suspicion of robbery and remain in police custody for questioning.

Detective Sergeant Hannah Greetham said: “Both drivers were assaulted, but thankfully their injuries are not serious. This was an extremely frightening attack for the drivers and it could have been much more serious.