“RACE TO THE BOTTOM”: Gatwick taxi drivers set to protest against out-of-area Uber services impacting local trade

Taxi drivers serving Gatwick Airport are set to protest on Thursday morning over claims that Uber is undermining local licensing rules and damaging the livelihoods of Crawley-based drivers.

The demonstration, organised by Unite the Union, will take place from 8am at Gatwick’s South Terminal roundabout. Drivers say the protest marks the start of a wider campaign targeting both Gatwick Airport and Uber over what they describe as unfair practices.

According to Unite, Uber are ‘side stepping local regulations’ due to its vehicles often being licensed by Transport for London (TfL) and other authorities. Legally, out-of-area Uber vehicles can operate at Gatwick due to controversial ‘cross-border’ rules.

However, Unite argue that Crawley licensed drivers are bound by stricter area restrictions and that this loophole has created an influx of London-registered Uber vehicles parking near Gatwick to pick up passengers, undercutting Crawley-based operators and eroding their trade. The union says the issue has become severe enough to threaten the future of local taxi services that support the airport’s economy.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham criticised Gatwick Airport’s partnership with Uber, saying the arrangement was contributing to “a race to the bottom” for local drivers. She also called on the Government to step in and close the licensing gaps that allow out-of-area vehicles to operate freely.

The union claims Gatwick management has helped facilitate Uber’s growing presence by advertising and promoting the ride-hailing app at the airport. Unite’s campaign will include continued pressure on both Gatwick and Uber, alongside calls for ministers to implement the Casey Report’s recommendations to tighten licensing laws.

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Graham said: “Gatwick is disgracing itself by partnering with a race-to-the-bottom firm like Uber, which is destroying local livelihoods and damaging Crawley’s economy. Unite will not rest until Gatwick takes action to address our members’ concerns.

“Nor can the government continue to sit on the sidelines – Uber’s sidestepping of local licensing laws is hurting workers and putting passengers at risk across the country. Ministers need to close the loopholes in the legislation.”

Uber has strongly defended its operations at Gatwick Airport, insisting it complies with all private hire licensing rules. A spokesperson for Uber said: “Uber operates according to the high standards set across the industry and abides by the same regulations as all other private hire operators. This has been supported by a thorough independent review by Crawley Borough Council, which upheld our set-up at Gatwick.”

The Council’s report included legal advice from Philip Kolvin KC, who said he found “no wrongdoing” in Uber directing its drivers to airport car parks to wait for bookings. He noted the company was “organising its vehicles in an orderly manner rather than allowing them to proliferate in local roads”.

The findings follow growing tension over out-of-area working rules, which allow private hire drivers licensed in one area to undertake journeys in another. Under current legislation, drivers licensed anywhere in England and Wales can legally pick up and drop off passengers anywhere, provided the trip is pre-booked and that the driver, vehicle, and operator are all licensed by the same authority.

Uber said every driver using its app holds a valid local authority licence, and that its operations remain within the law.