Backlash as 300,000 tell Khan: You’ve got it wrong

‘He wants to switch off the internet’

SADIQ Khan was last night hit by a backlash from Uber customers worried about paying higher taxi fares.

More than 300,000 signed a petition set up by the cab firm calling on the London Mayor to reverse the decision to ban it from the capital.

MPs and social media users branded the move a ‘terrible mistake’ that could hurt consumers.

Mr Khan endorsed Transport for London’s decision to end Uber’s licence due to worries about passenger safety.

But the Labour politician faced immediate criticism from some – including many younger voters – who argued the taxi hailing app is cheaper and more convenient than getting a black cab.

Tory minister for London Greg Hands said: ‘At the flick of a pen Sadiq Khan is threatening to put 40,000 people out of work and leave 3.5 million users of Uber stranded. Uber must address safety con- cerns and it is important there is a level playing field across the private hire market. But a blanket ban will cause massive inconvenience to millions of Londoners, all the while showing that the Mayor of London is closed to business and innovation.’

Chris Philp, Tory MP for Croydon South, said: ‘I accept Uber has some problems it has to fix, such as reporting every single criminal allegation they hear about. But banning Uber in London is a terrible mistake. Sadiq Khan should reverse the decision immediately.’

Tom Tugendhat, the Tory MP for Tonbridge and Malling, claimed Mr Khan was a ‘luddite’ who wanted to ‘switch off the internet’. He said: ‘ By banning Uber, Sadiq Khan is showing socialism is about control when the internet is pushing for freedom of choice.

‘True, Uber has problems but Sadiq Khan banning them is a vote against choice using lastcentury controls to order how we choose to live.’

Many Twitter users were furious. Rahul Kohli wrote: ‘I’ll never be saying hello to black cabs – £40 for a £10 journey? Please...’

Another said: ‘A regular black cab to Heathrow can easily cost as much as your round-trip flight to many European destinations. Uber was a lifesaver.’

Alex Roberts added: ‘ This isn’t good for the consumer.’

However, Mr Khan – who as mayor is chairman of the Transport for London board but did not take part in the licensing decision – said Uber had brought the ban on itself. He told BBC World At One: ‘If drivers are angry, as they will be, if users of Uber are angry, as they will be, their anger should be turned towards Uber for knowing the rules and failing to play by them.’

Labour MP Wes Streeting, chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on taxis, said Uber had ‘shown itself to be not a fit and proper operator’.

The crackdown also generated support on social media. One Twitter user wrote: ‘Sound decision. Uber pay no tax, pay their employees pennies and don’t abide by the current legislation.’

Another said: ‘Uber shouldn’t have been given a contract in the first place.’

After setting up the petition, Uber emailed its 3.5million customers in the capital to whip up support. It said: ‘If this decision stands, it will put more than 40,000 licensed drivers out of work and deprive millions of Londoners of a convenient and affordable form of transport.’

The decision to strip Uber of its licence follows a string of sex attacks by drivers and former drivers – with claims lodged in London at a rate of almost one a week.

Scotland Yard recorded 48 sexual assault claims in the 12 months to February 2017, up 50 per cent on the 32 seen the year before. It suggests Uber may have become an easy target for sexual predators, despite the steps taken by Transport for London to check drivers are safe.

Mr Khan, a former Labour minister, succeeded Boris Johnson as Mayor of London in May last year after beating Tory Zac Goldsmith with 56.8 per cent of the vote.