Taxi firm calls for Uber crackdown in Glasgow
GLASGOW Taxis has called on the council to crack down on Uber in the same way as London has done.
Speaking on behalf of the firm’s executive committee, chairman Stephen Flynn urged Glasgow City Council bosses to reconsider Uber’s licence, and other third party apps.
He said: “All taxis in Glasgow should operate on the same playing field as public safety and security is of paramount importance.
“All our drivers are PVG checked and have passed knowledge tests and customer care courses set and approved by Glasgow City Council.”
Mr Flynn’s comments come almost a week after after Transport for London (TfL) said it would not be issuing Uber with a new licence citing that the popular service was “not fit and proper” to operate in the capital.
TfL said it took the decision on the grounds of “public safety and security implications.”
Uber, however, which is used by 3.5 million people and 40,000 drivers in London, hit back by saying it would appeal, claiming the move “would show the world that, far from being open, London is closed to innovative companies.”
Glasgow Taxis is the largest supplier of licensed taxis in the whole of Scotland, and the largest in the UK outside London.
Uber enables users to book cars using their smartphones and is available in more than 40 towns and cities across the UK.
The firm first landed in Glasgow in October 2015 where it was granted a licence for a year. In October last year, its licence was renewed for three years.
Speaking to the Evening Times, a council spokesman said “there is nothing for the council to consider.”
The spokesman added: “We have received no evidence that suggests the operation of Uber’s Booking Office Licence in Glasgow compromises public safety and so, therefore, there is nothing for the council to consider.
“All drivers – both taxi drivers and private hire car drivers – are subject to a criminal record check carried out by Police Scotland and must pass a customer care course. Passing the knowl- edge test is solely a requirement of those seeking a taxi drivers licence.”
Uber has already highlighted how TfL’s decision applies solely to London and will not impact any other UK city.
A spokeswoman for Uber said: “Millions of people use our app to get from A to B and thousands of licensed drivers rely on Uber to make a living. We plan to appeal the decision in London and can continue operating while we await the outcome.”