Mayor under huge pressure over renewing Uber’s licence

The Mayor is facing calls to ensure the licence of car hailing app Uber is not renewed, unless the company improves its working practices. The London Assembly is extremely concerned about the effects of these practices on other PHV operators, black cabs and even their own drivers. A motion agreed today by the Assembly also calls for the Mayor to have the powers to cap the number of private hire licences. David Kurten AM, who proposed the original motion said: “The Mayor pledged in his election campaign to revoke Uber’s licence if there was just case of poor practice as he would not compromise on Londoners’ safety. One year on from his election he has renewed Uber’s operating licence despite grave concerns about Uber’s working practices, driver safety, increased allegations of sexual assaults by Uber drivers, tax avoidance and the potential quagmire of alleged corruption between Uber’s previous bosses and members of David Cameron’s administration. I believe there are now so many problems caused by Uber’s practices that they do not deserve any more chances. It is time to pull the plug on Uber in London - unless it does something dramatic about its working practices.”

The full written motion is as follows: