London cabbies lose Uber ‘bias’ case

Black cab drivers have lost a High Court challenge against Uber’s London operating licence after senior judges rejected their claims of bias.

The United Cabbies Group (UCG), which represents Hackney carriage drivers in the capital, argued Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot’s decision to grant Uber a 15-month permit was “tainted by actual or apparent bias”.

The licence was granted on a “probationary” basis at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June last year after Transport for London (TFL) refused to renew it amid safety concerns.

But the judge said in August she would not hear any further cases involving the ride-hailing app after a newspaper article alleged there were financial connections between her husband and Uber.

At a hearing in London earlier this month, lawyers for UCG acknowledged the judge was unaware of any such links, but she should have “checked for any potential conflicts of interest” before making her decision on Uber’s licence.

They also argued the decision was not open to her because Uber did not meet the “fit and proper person” criteria necessary for holding a licence. However, their case was dismissed yesterday.

Chief Justice Lord Burnett said: “We consider that those circumstances would not lead a fair-minded and informed observer to conclude that there was a real possibility that the judge was biased.”