Uber to offer city its transport data as it wins right to continue operating

UBER is to continue operating in Birmingham for at least another year after being granted a renewal of its operator licence by the city council.

A licensing sub-committee meeting behind closed doors unanimously agreed for the cab firm to carry on until January 31, 2020 when its licence will be reviewed again.

Uber highlighted a number of their safety features including cashless transactions, the fact that all trips are recorded on GPS and a feature which requires drivers to take a six-hour break if they have been ‘on trip’ for ten hours. The firm stated it was looking to ‘strengthen’ working relationships with West Midlands Police and the city council licensing enforcement.

Uber also has a Memorandum of Understanding with the West Mid- lands Combined Authority to make transport data available to assist in infrastructure planning decisions in the city.

The minicab app stated it had been ‘humbled’ by the reaction in Birmingham since launching in the city in 2015.

A booklet, submitted as part of their application, provided a number of statistics about the operation, revealing that more than 1,000 drivers licensed by Birmingham City Council are earning money through the app. There have been more than 15 million trips since 2015 with an average pick-up time of four minutes.

Fred Jones, director at Uber UK, said: “Since our launch in February 2015, we have been humbled by Birmingham’s response to Uber.

“From carrying over a million passengers and helping over 1,000 drivers earn money via the app, we are proud to have had a positive impact on the lives of so many Brummies.

“For the next stage of our journey we are excited about better partnering with the city to help solve some of the urban transport challenges that Birmingham faces, including congestion, air quality, and providing safe, affordable and reliable transport to every corner of the city.”