UPHD: "TfL and LPHCA close ranks at the High Court to squeeze gig workers in London the minicab

Today the Licensed Private Hire Car Association, the trade body for minicab bosses, goes to the High Court in an effort to stop Transport for London from increasing operator license fees. Last month UPHD applied to intervene in today's High Court hearing to argue the following: 

the current and proposed TfL license fees structure is irrational because it places an unfair burden on the driver for the compliance costs of the operator's business.

TfL is in breach of the Equality Act 2010 because it places a comparatively unfair cost & regulatory burden on minicab drivers and denies them any dedicated representation in the stakeholder process

LPHCA's argument to delink operators with enforcement and compliance responsibility for their cars and drivers is dangerous because it undermines an integrated approach to compliance, safety and risk management

Unfortunately, despite their differences, TfL and LPHCA closed ranks to strenuously resist our application to intervene in the legal proceedings and so, once again, denied minicab drivers an opportunity to be heard. James Farrar, Chair of the United Private Hire Driver's branch of the IWGB said: 

"It's not surprising that gig economy bosses represented by the LPHCA are fighting tooth and nail to pass their costs and regulatory burden on to drivers. But it's dismaying to see TfL work so hard to avoid answering some troubling questions about how it discriminates against 117,000 mostly minority minicab drivers. We will be watching this case very carefully and we'll continue to pursue other avenues to challenge institutional racism at Transport for London." 

"Because UPHD does not accept operators as members nor do we collaborate with the LPHCA, we are the only trade union in a position to fight for drivers on this issue."