The taxi-hailing app giant Uber has abandoned its plan to expand into at least nine cities and towns around Britain.

The company is in danger of losing its licence in another big market, Brighton, when it expires next month, after breaking promises to use only local drivers and vehicles.

The disclosures come as Uber battles for survival in the capital following the decision by Transport for London to refuse it a new licence. The company continues to accept bookings pending an appeal, which it lodged on Friday.

It can be revealed today that Uber has withdrawn its applications for operating licences in Oxford, Hull, Bournemouth, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sandwell in the West Midlands.

The decision was made after Uber was asked a series of questions about its business drawn up by the Local Government Association.

The questions are designed to challenge the company’s claim that it is merely an agent that “does not provide transportation services” and simply operates an app connecting “independent contractors” with passengers.

The questions include: “If Uber has no involvement in the contract between the customer and the driver of the vehicle, who accepts the booking? If Uber accepts the booking, how does it have no involvement in the contract between the customer and the driver?”

Oxford city council said Uber’s application had lapsed after it had failed to provide “vital details” of how its service would operate. The other councils confirmed that Uber had withdrawn.

The company has been refused a licence in Reading and told it will not be granted one in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. However, it continues to serve some of the areas using cars it sends in from other places where it does hold a licence.

The company said: “Uber has been granted more than 80 licences by councils. Over the last year a small number of licence applications lapsed while we focused on other areas.

“On rare occasions we’ve not pursued applications as proposed conditions didn’t fit with how our app works.”

Source : Sunday Times.

LONDON (Reuters) - Uber said on Tuesday that paying National Insurance contributions for its British drivers would add tens of millions of pounds to the taxi app’s costs were they to be deemed employees.

Uber currently classifies its around 50,000 drivers in Britain as self-employed, affording them only basic entitlements, whilst employees also receive rights such as sick pay and the minimum wage.

Asked about how much it would cost in National Insurance payments if self-employed drivers were directly employed, the firm’s UK Head of Policy Andrew Byrne told parliament’s business committee:

“I don’t have the precise figures ... but I‘m certain it would be the tens of millions certainly.”

Also appearing before lawmakers, Deliveroo’s UK and Ireland Managing Director Dan Warne said additional costs including National Insurance contributions, would add around 1 pound ($1.32) to the cost of each hour.

National Insurance is collected by the government and helps pay for the state health service, pensions and certain other benefits.

Firms operating in the so-called gig economy - whereby people tend to work for different companies without a fixed contract - have been criticized by unions and some lawmakers for what they call exploitative practices.

Uber and Deliveroo both say their drivers enjoy the flexibility they offer but last year two drivers won a tribunal hearing against Uber and were granted worker rights, in a decision which the Silicon Valley firm appealed last month.

Uber’s Byrne said on Tuesday he expected the judge to make a ruling by around Christmas.
Uber is also battling to overturn a decision by London’s transport regulator to strip the smartphone app of its license in the British capital. It has until Friday to lodge an appeal.

Byrne said he could hopefully see a way to address concerns by London’s transport regulator, which cited the firm’s approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers.

“Hopefully we can see a path forward now with TfL (Transport for London) where we can address their concerns and continue to operate,” he said.

http://reut.rs/2kDbvkB
---------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------

CAMBRIDGE

A 10p rise in basic starting tariffs and a £1 charge for carrying bikes in taxis will be dicided by the council on Monday next week.

A consultation with the industry and customers has ended.

Proposals could also mean that taxis are required to carry card machines and cctv cameras, that rear-loading wheelchair vehicles be available and that a colour requirement come into play that could see all Hackney Cabs turn Cambridge Blue.

Cllr Gerri Bird, chair of the licensing committee, said: “We were pleased to have received many responses from members of the taxi trade and interested parties to our consultations on taxi fares and the taxi licensing policy.

“We will now use this feedback to help us decide whether or not to make the proposed changes. Both the taxi fares table and the taxi licensing policy are important mechanisms for ensuring that Cambridge’s taxi service continues to be safe, efficient and accessible for all.”

The council is responsible for licensing all taxi proprietors and operators in Cambridge, as well as Hackney carriage, private hire and dual drivers.

http://bit.ly/2y9Ef9X
----------------------------------------------

GRIMSBY

A woman has warned people about the dangers of fake taxis after a bogus cab driver sexually assaulted her during a frightening car journey that left her hysterical.

The 30-year-old Grimsby woman wanted to go home after a night out and put her hand up to hail what she wrongly thought was a taxi.
The fake cabbie was driving round, seemingly on the lookout for women, and "tried it on with her sexually" before touching her in an "abhorrent" way.

He has been jailed at Grimsby Crown Court for nine months.

Mounir Megherbi, 29, of Heneage Road, Grimsby, admitted sexual assault on March 27 last year.
Andrew Bailey, prosecuting, said the woman had been on a night out with friends and tried to telephone for a taxi in the early hours so she could go home but she had no luck.

Two cars drove past her and she put up her hand to stop one of them, thinking that it was a taxi.
She got in and, still believing that it was a taxi, sat in the front seat.

The car drove off and Megherbi told her: "You're too pretty to be round here. Why are you in Freeman Street?"

He started touching her leg and she tried to push him away.

She told him: "Oh no, I'm just having a good night."

The woman telephoned her boyfriend and sent him a text saying: "A taxi driver is touching me."
The driver tried to push his hand up her bare leg and asked her: "Isn't it okay? Why isn't it okay?"
He eventually got annoyed with her and asked: "Why are you ringing somebody? Who are you ringing?"

Megherbi stopped the car near Grimsby Institute and told her: "You're getting out of my car."
He ejected her from the vehicle, leaving her hysterical and upset and shaken.

A genuine taxi driver picked her up and a message was posted on Facebook to try to warn other people.

Megherbi was arrested and later told police that he ran a pizza shop and lived at the time in Cleethorpes.

He claimed that people used to come up to him asking if he was a taxi because his car looked like a taxi.

He admitted that he had taken people home and tried to pretend that he was a taxi.

Richard Hackfath, mitigating, said Megherbi was emotional, concerned and remorseful about the matter.

"His primary motivation for being out on the streets that night was to make money as an unlicensed taxi driver," said Mr Hackfath.

"She got into the vehicle rather than him targetting her. It was a very unpleasant offence against a completely blameless complainant.

http://bit.ly/2g0qjVg 
------------------------------------------------

LONDON

 Via, an Israeli-founded taxi app that's raised a reported $200 million (£152 million) from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, is ready to launch in London.

The Uber rival has hired a team of people and contacted thousands of drivers about working for the platform.

But the company is struggling to get an operating licence from Transport for London (TfL), which has been busy deciding whether to renew Uber's licence over the last few months. It decided not to renew it on September 22.

Luca Parducci, Via's general manager in London, told Business Insider: "We applied five months ago in April. Usually the application process takes eight weeks maximum. We had no indication that it would take longer than that.

"So we went through the whole process and started recruiting a team, which I'm part of, opened an office, started registering the interest of thousands of drivers that can't wait to work with us," continued Parducci, a former executive at travel booking website HotelTonight.

"In the process with TfL, we've provided additional information on our product, our company, our processes, and basically answers to all the questions that they had. Now we're basically ready to start. We're only missing the approval and licence from TfL."

London_Via_App The Via app being held up in Westminster, close to TfL's headquarters. Via
Via's app is a ride-sharing service that allows people to catch a ride with other people going in the same direction. It's similar in many respects to UberPool, which is the Uber service that allows people to do the same thing.

The app was launched in New York City before expanding to Chicago and Washington D.C. Now the company wants to launch in its first European city.

Via is focused on getting the London licence but the company could start to consider other cities if TfL doesn't start to process its application. The company's website shows that it is looking to hire general mangers in Berlin and Rome.

"It's been frustrating to experience these delays because normally it'll take less time than this and we really can’t wait to bring this service to London," said Parducci.

A TfL spokesperson said: "Our regulation of London's taxi and private hire trades is designed to ensure passenger safety. Private hire operators must meet rigorous regulations, and demonstrate to TfL that they do so, in order to operate. TfL must also be satisfied that an operator is fit and proper to hold a licence. We do not comment on individual licence applications."

Uber said it plans to appeal TfL's decision not to renew its licence and it has started a petition which now has over 850,000 signatures.

Other competitors in London include MyTaxi, Gett, Addison Lee, and the traditional black cab service.

http://read.bi/2y40eiM
------------------------------------------------

YORK

 THE man who snatched a cab from the taxi rank at York Railway Station and crashed it on the A64 had escaped from lawful custody, it has been revealed.

Luke Dean Michael Kilminster, 31, smashed a window at York Hospital where he was being held on September 27.

He made his way to York Railway Station where he took a Ford Mondeo as the owner was helping a customer with her luggage.

As he continued his getaway down Tadcaster Road and headed west along the A64, Kilminster crashed it into at least one other vehicle on the dual carriageway and damaged the taxi.

 Kilminster, of Elm Court, Helmsley, pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody at York Hospital and criminal damage to a window at the hospital. It cost £500 to repair the window.

He also admitted taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and that the offence was aggravated by him driving it dangerously on the A64 and crashing two vehicles.

He admitted he didn’t have a licence to drive the taxi and didn’t have insurance for his journey.
York magistrates decided the case was too serious for them to deal with and sent him to York Crown Court for sentence.

http://bit.ly/2wMmV7d 
-----------------------------------------------

SNAPCHAT + UBERK

Snapchat has started rolling out a new feature that encourages users to be inspired and act spontaneously based on their friends' Snaps.

The new feature, known as Context Cards, integrates services from the likes of TripAdvisor, Uberk and OpenTable into Snapchat, allowing users to book a table at a restaurant or order a cab without leaving the app.

The idea, it seems, is that you see a Snap of your friends eating a delicious meal at a nearby restaurant, and using Context Cards you can read a review of the restaurant and book a table for the following week - or jump straight in an Uberk and join them.

"Every day our community uses Snapchat to see more of the world around them," explained Snap.

"Now, with Context Cards, Snaps can transform from visual stories into launchpads for more information and actions."

http://bit.ly/2hAlt1m

 TAXIFY, PARIS LAUNCH, IS NOT TOO SMOOTH


VTC drivers blocked the Taxify recruitment office in Paris in early afternoon to denounce the "aggressive arrival" of the new booking platform on the market of cars with driver (VTC), according to the union FO-Capa VTC.

According to the union, this action has caused "a few dozen drivers have blocked the Taxify recruitment station" shortly after its opening at 13:00.

Access to the premises, located rue Saint-Maur (11th arrondissement), was then closed by decision of the owner of the building, told AFP Helmi Mamlouk, spokesman of the union.

Nevertheless, drivers decided to stay in front of the building "to check that they do not reopen," he added.

"They have arrived in an aggressive, shameful way, and they are told that we are there, that there are social partners, that we have unions opposite, we do not agree that they break the market prices, which are already deplorable, "he said to explain the motivations of the drivers.

According to a source close to the management, the drivers - numbering "ten" - dispersed in calm after an hour of blocking and the premises were closed for the afternoon.

They were challenging a "company launch offer" proposing a 50% reduction in passenger fares in October, according to the same source who said that the loss of earnings for drivers is compensated by the company. "There is no reason to change this offer," the source added.

Taxify launched last week in Paris with the ambition to compete with Uber, the industry leader. Present in 19 countries, in Central and Eastern Europe but also in Africa, the platform ensures that its rates will be 10% lower than those of Uber. She also promises to take only 15% commission on the race against 25% for Uber.
It is supported by the Chinese giant of the VTC and the taxi Didi Chuxing, which bought last year the operations of Uber in China.

Since the first mobilizations of drivers of VTC two years ago against the tariff policy of Uber, several associations and unions of drivers question regularly the platforms on the conditions of work of the drivers and their "impoverishment". They had obtained from the previous Government the initiation of work for the introduction of a minimum tariff applicable to the TCW sector.

Translated from :

http://bit.ly/2wKdlSk
-----------------------------------------

GMB PRESS RELEASE 9 Oct 2017

GMB Calls on Uber to Demonstrate Its New Humility by Coming Clean on Driver Hours in the UK

The reason Uber won't come clean on this is that it would expose the reality that the 40,000 drivers would be working just over four hours per week says GMB.

GMB comments on the latest set of accounts, for year ending 31 December 2016, released by Uber London, the UK operating company.

[1]

Maria Ludkin, GMB Legal Director said:
"Uber could demonstrate its new found humility shown to the Mayor of London by showing a bit of transparency in its UK accounts.

“Uber gives the impression that it has an income of £36.9m in the UK by selling unspecified services to other Uber overseas companies - in other words it is an exporter of services from the UK. What a pile of tosh.

“In fact, Uber sends all the fare income made in the UK to a company in Holland.

"This Dutch company pays 75% of this income to drivers in the UK. GMB is working on the basis that the other 25% is the commission to Uber that comes back to the UK and makes up the lion’s share of Uber income in the UK.

“The reason Uber won't come clean on this is that it would expose the reality that the 40,000 drivers would be working just over four hours per week for Uber. So much for 40,000 jobs being on the line.

“It is high time that Uber stopped the spinning and came clean on what hours its drivers work each week.”

ENDS
---------------------------------------

Uber to launch new electric taxi service in Dubai

Ride-hailing service Uber will soon launch the first electric taxi fleet in the UAE, with its new UberONE service.

Announced as the exclusive taxi partner for Dubai Taxi Corporation’s fleet of electric vehicles in the UAE, UberONE will add 50 new premium electric cars to its fleet, giving riders across Dubai the chance to request a fully-electric, smart and sustainable transport option at the touch of a button.

Starting from Tuesday, 10 October, riders across the emirate will be able to choose from a dedicated fleet of electric vehicles exclusively via the “UberONE” option on the Uber app.

The joint initiative comes as part of Dubai Taxi Corporation and Uber’s commitment to helping Dubai become the smartest city in the world and in support of the Green Economy for Sustainable Development Initiative.

As well as offering driver-partners and riders a high-quality travel experience at the touch of a button, electric cars also reduce air and noise pollution in local communities, and will lower per-mile operating costs for driver-partners, compared to those for conventional cars. The introduction of the electric vehicle fleet to the Uber app will also lay the foundations for a viable, long-term technology solution to achieving a sustainable, clean ride vehicle network that smart cities of the future are striving for.

Chris Free, general manager for Uber UAE, said: “At Uber we are constantly innovating our offering and looking for ways to provide new and progressive experiences at the push of a button. We are tremendously excited to be the exclusive ride-hailing partner for this fleet of premium electric vehicles in Dubai, in partnership with Dubai Taxi Corporation, and for the clean vehicle technology to deliver our driver-partners and riders with more efficient, less-polluting mobility.

We will continue to work hand in hand with Dubai Taxi Corporation to bring innovative infrastructural solutions to Dubai and grow the city’s smart mobility ecosystem.”

-------------------------------------------------
BURNLEY

A taxi driver who launched a ‘ferocious’ attack on two passengers using an iron bar has been jailed.
Nabeel Iqbal, who worked for Max Cabs, and another man attacked the men with the weapon and ‘what looked like a wheel brace’ following a falling-out in his car, a court heard.

Burnley Crown Court was told that a short time after the row Iqbal and another unknown male approached the passengers on Owen Street in Accrington.

The court heard how the offenders chased one of the passengers Adam Wright and struck him causing him to fall to the floor. One of the males then said to another of the passengers, a teenager, ‘You’re next son’ before ‘briefly chasing him away’.

Prosecutor Mark Kellett said Mr Wright was ‘distressed, lying injured on the floor’ before the offenders chased and repeatedly struck the third passenger Joseph Silcock.

Both victims were taken to hospital and Mr Wright was treated for three days with a fractured left elbow.

http://bit.ly/2g3UMoS
------------------------------------------

GUILDFORD

As the aftermath of the latest Uber revelations rumble on , Guildford is having its own discussions on the future of taxi and private hire vehicles.

Guildford Borough Council heard recommendations from licensing team leader, Mike Smith, on plans for all taxi and private hire vehicles to be card payment equipped by April 1 2019.

The latest requirement for Guildford drivers follows the poorly received policy adopted by the council in December 2015 which implemented the turquoise re-branding.

Mr Smith laid out various benefits to the new policy and said: "Since the approval of the last policy things have moved on quite significantly in the taxi world."

The benefits of introducing card enabled payment mentioned by Mr Smith included:

*  Not having to queue at a cash point in order to get money to pay for a taxi.

 *  Less dispute over how to split a fare.

 *   If there is less requirement for drivers to carry cash, they become less of a target for crime.

There would be a financial impact for drivers at a coast of around £500 per year to supply a suitable card payment device which would be required to accept Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, accept contactless payments and provide a receipt.

Mr Smith suggested that it would be very easy to break this cost down into each individual fare to ensure that no direct cost is incurred by the drivers.

A typical card transaction costs roughly 1% of the total fare, meaning that if you're journey cost you £10, a 10p transaction fee would be taken by the device provider.

Mr Smith said: "In Guildford we have a formula for setting carriage fares so we could very easily include this cost to the driver in the fare calculator so that drivers could recover that cost."

As Uber challenges its licence revoke in London , the planned policy changes would go some way to both updating and simplifying the traditional "taxi journey home" in Surrey.

At this stage there is no planned provision for hailing a taxi through a mobile device, as is possible with the Uber app.

During the meeting, Councillor Dennis Paul voiced his support of the new policy but raised the issue of "unscrupulous" drivers using card reading technology to clone customers' cards.

In response Mr Smith suggested that the licensing committee's vetting process is already designed to hire fit and proper drivers.

He hopes this process would restrict the dangers of claims raised by Cllr Paul happening by not being granted a licence in the first place.

In a 2016 consultation carried out by Transport for London, it found that 86% of respondents backed card acceptance in taxis with 68% in favour of the use of contactless payment.

The policy is not yet being implemented in London but serves to highlight its popularaity.
The recommendations were approved by the council and the policy will be subject to a six week public consultation period.

http://bit.ly/2gnmkm6 
----------------------------------------

LIVERPOOL

A man was left fighting for life after he was kicked in the head by a group of men at a taxi rank.

The 41-year-old victim was in an argument with them before they followed him towards a taxi, then launched their attack in Liverpool city centre.

Emergency services were called at around 4am following reports a man had been assaulted on Ranelagh Street in the early hours of Saturday morning. A spokesperson for the North West Ambulance service told that the man was rushed to Aintree Hospital. He is understood to be in a serious condition.

The offenders fled the scene on foot in the direction of Liverpool Central train station. An investigation has been launched and enquiries are ongoing. Detectives are examining CCTV footage to establish what happened and identify any offenders and forensic examination of the street and the taxi is taking place.

Anyone with any information should contact Merseyside Police on 0151 7774065, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

http://bit.ly/2xsHSng
 

Nottingham City Council’s Taxi Strategy will see plans to ‘green’ the fleet and make the service a customer-friendly part of the city’s world-class transport network begin.

The council has successfully bid for £702,000 of money from the Office of Low Emissions Vehicles which will see 32 connection points installed at eight locations around the city from early next year, which constitutes wider plans to make taxi drivers more willing to convert their vehicles to low-emission.

A new government Plug-In Taxi Grant will allow vehicle dealers to claim a grant of between £3,000 and £7,500 – making the vehicles cheaper for drivers.

‘Greening’ the taxi fleet is a key part of the council’s drive to improve air quality, along with measures like the first low-emission vehicle-only lane in the country, one of the largest electric and gas powered bus fleets in the country, investment in cycling facilities and the recent expansion of the tram network.

Toby Neal, Portfolio Holder for Community and Customer Services, said: “This is the beginning of a new dawn for taxi services in Nottingham. We have a world-class public transport network, with arguably the best bus and tram services in the country, and these improvements will bring local taxi services up to the same high standard. We are removing any barriers that might prevent taxis from becoming greener, by installing a network of charging points and making arrangements so that getting a new lower-emission vehicle is affordable.

“In the next few years, we will see the fleet of hackney cabs transformed to clean, modern re-branded vehicles and uniformed drivers fully trained in customer service. We also intend to bring out an Uber-style app for hackneys so that it is an appealing, customer-focused service for modern-day passengers.”

As well as environmental improvements, taxi vehicles will be re-branded, drivers will be trained in customer service and provided uniforms.

http://bit.ly/2yV42QW

 

Gett LONDON

After Uber was deemed not "fit and proper" to hold a London private hire licence, rendering it unable to operate in the capital if an appeal is unsuccessful, black cab ordering app company Gett aims to capitalise with a clever and cheeky campaign.

As well as post adverts in Tube stations and bus shelters, with taglines like "Über fast. Now that's fit & proper" and "Top drivers. Now that's fit & proper", the firm is giving away £15 credit for your first ride in London. What's the code? "PROPER".

"As more people question the credentials of London’s transport providers, we wanted to remind customers that Gett offers an unparalleled experience in the capital," said the CEO of Gett UK, Matteo de Renzi. "Our trained drivers pride themselves on quality and providing a quick and efficient journey, deemed fit and proper by all."

To use the £15 credit code, which orders authorised London black cabs, just download the free Gett app for iOS or Android, sign in with your mobile number, an email address you went receipts to be sent to and your name.

Then tap the menu button on the main screen at the top left, tap Coupon Code and simply enter PROPER at the prompt.

http://bit.ly/2xU0OOY
----------------------------------------

UBERK EUROPE
 
Uber has lost another top executive, this time spurred over the decision by Transport for London (TfL) to not renew the raid-hailing firm’s license to operate in the capital.

Jo Bertram, Uber’s regional general manager for Northern Europe, sent an email around to her employees, reported Reuters, which announced that she would be leaving the company in a few weeks time after overseeing a smooth transition to someone who will take over her duties.

Bertham, who is based in London, did not directly say that the decision to leave was based on Uber not having its London license renewed, but she appears to have hinted at it by noting the hurdles the company has to overcome.

“Given some of our current challenges, I’m also convinced that now is the right time to have a change of face, and to hand over to someone who will be here for the long haul and take us into the next phase,” she wrote in the email.

“While I would like to have announced my move in smoother circumstances, I’m proud of the team we’ve built here and am very confident in their abilities to lead the business into the next chapter.”

Uber’s current global chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi is set to meet the TfL to try and address the accusation that Uber is not “fit and proper” to operate a transport service due the the way it treats its employees and other practises deemed irresponsible by the TfL.

The decision by Bertham to leave Uber follows the recent stepping-down of former chief executive Travis Kalanick, who was pressured to resign his post by Uber’s shareholders after it surfaced that he’d been involved in berating a driver and ignoring sexual harassment allegations aimed at Uber.

While Kalanick is still on Uber’s board, despite moves to try and remove him, he has no longer holds the top position at Uber and the loss of Bertham as another top executive, shows Uber is going through a bit of a rocky patch at the moment.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/jo-bertram-leaves-uber-3300009#MOOQJ2OAJBcp57g7.99 
-------------------------------------------

UBERKS National Sex Attacks

Uber drivers have been accused of more than a dozen sex attacks, including at least two rapes, outside London.

Alleged sexual assaults were reported to six police forces outside the capital, according to data released under freedom of information laws, revealing the scale of the ride-sharing group’s security problems.

Forces in Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Avon and Somerset have recorded 13 alleged sex attacks by Uber drivers since 2015.

Greater Manchester police recorded three alleged sexual assaults and one alleged rape by Uber drivers, while South Yorkshire police investigated one alleged sexual assault and an alleged rape.

West Yorkshire police recorded three alleged sexual offences involving Uber drivers, while Avon and Somerset investigated two and Warwickshire and Leicestershire each recorded one.

The true number of cases nationwide could be much higher, as 20 of the 45 forces across Britain asked by The Sunday Times for information on Uber’s public safety record either refused to provide figures on the grounds of cost or did not respond.

The 19 forces that did respond either had no cases reported against Uber drivers or recorded offences that were not of a sexual nature. Eleven forces in total revealed that they had recorded reported crimes by Uber drivers, including violence against the person, theft, handling stolen goods and drug offences.

The figures were released as Uber fights to keep operating in the capital after Transport for London (TfL) decided not to renew its licence. The announcement led to speculation that councils across the UK would follow London’s example.

TfL bosses accused the company of failing to ensure passenger safety after the number of alleged sex attacks involving Uber drivers in London rose 50%, to 48, in the 12 months to February 2017.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s chief executive, will be in London on Tuesday to meet regulators. He hopes to stop the revoking of his company’s licence, which was due to expire last night. Uber will be allowed to continue operating while it appeals against TfL’s decision.

The meeting, which TfL said was instigated by an approach from Uber, comes days after Khosrowshahi wrote an open apology to Londoners, saying “we have got things wrong”.

Uber said: “Drivers who use our app are licensed by a local council and have gone through the same enhanced DBS checks as black cab drivers and others. We take any allegations of this nature seriously, working with the police and preventing drivers using the app while any investigations take place. Our GPS technology means that every trip is electronically tracked and recorded.”

http://bit.ly/2xTgmDo