Uber withdraw York operators licence appeal
Uber Brittania Ltd have withdrawn their appeal against the City of York council's decision to deny the PHV company a licence renewal.
City of York council decided not to renew Uber's licence on December 12th last year after they deemed the company not fit and proper to hold an operators license.
Uber subsequently launched an appeal, however, they have now withdrawn that appeal today.
An Uber spokesperson via the York Press said: "Following recent changes we’ve made in the UK, as well as numerous licence renewals in cities including Sheffield and Cambridge, we have decided to withdraw our appeal in York.”
The withdrawal means that the few, reportedly less than ten drivers, licensed as York private hire drivers will no longer be able to use Uber as an operator.
However, it is expected that Uber will continue to service York by using drivers in neighbouring cities. This term is called cross-border hiring and is raising its own controversy as authorities have no powers to manage out of town drivers in their own licensing area.
Mike Palmer from the York Private Hire Group said: “This is a very big deal for the safety of the public up and down the country. Provided the Gambling, Licensing and Regulatory Committee are still convinced that the data breach and number of complaints against the company preclude Uber from being a Fit and Proper person to hold the licence, they would not be successful if they reapply. “The small changes that Uber have made do not significantly affect their business in York; the limited hours only count the hours "on a job" not the sitting around waiting; the division of the country into sections is a voluntary move towards local licensing which is what they have disdained and run roughshod over since they opened. “Uber have tacitly admitted they aren't Fit and Proper by deciding not to continue fighting the case. “Today marks the start of the end for the company's business in our country. Not Fit and Proper in York, not in Leeds either, or Brighton, or Newcastle. “We can now concentrate on getting the Intended Use Policy put in place to stop cross border abuses before the next company try to take advantage of it.
This is a massive win by a few determined Private Hire and Hackney Carriage drivers in York who brought the crimes and misdeeds of Uber to the attention of the council. This group effort shows that multi-billioin dollar corporations can be beaten by giving councils enough information to make informed decisions, and sticking to them.”
