Uber proposes to clamp down on cross-border driving in the UK
As of next month drivers working for Uber will only be able to use the app within the region where they are licensed as the controversial minicab app proposes to clamp down on cross-border hiring.
Uber now operates in more than 40 towns and cities across the UK, with tens of thousands of drivers and millions of riders using the app every week. While cross-border driving is something the law allows for and is common in private hire journeys across England and Wales, Uber admit to hearing from local licensing authorities that the way the app works can make it hard for them to oversee what some drivers are doing in their jurisdiction. Next month the ride-hailing app is making a significant change which will mean drivers will only be able to use the app within the region where they are licensed as a private hire driver. For example, a driver licensed by Leeds City Council would still be able to do trips with Uber in Wakefield, Bradford or anywhere else in the Yorkshire region, but not in Manchester, Birmingham or anywhere outside the Yorkshire region. A driver will still be free to choose where they want to drive, but to do so they will need to be licensed by an authority within the region where they want to drive. Uber say it will help local licensing authorities tackle the challenge they currently face in regulating drivers in their area when they are licensed in another part of the country.
The move has however been seen as a “soft” cross-border solution by taxi drivers as the regions proposed by Uber span multiple authorities.
The major cities within each region are shown below: North East Newcastle Sunderland Durham
North West Merseyside Greater Manchester Chester
Yorkshire Leeds Bradford Sheffield
Midlands Birmingham Wolverhampton Leicester Nottingham Derby Stoke
East of England Cambridge
South East Southampton Brighton Portsmouth
South West Bristol Bath
Greater London Including surrounding areas Wales Cardiff Newport
