St Albans Taxi & Private Hire Association (STPA) are calling for all hackney carriage and private hire drivers to protest against ride-sharing firm Uber operating in the area.
The protest is due to take place outside St Albans District Council offices on 17 March.
Speaking on Transport for London's(TfL) decision to not renew Uber's operating licence in the capital, the STPA said: "Uber's License Revokal Speaks Volumes. Out of 1,521 passenger safety incidents in less than 6 months, 0 were reported by national media outlets. What’s going on here?
"Why isn’t the public being informed on the real problems that Uber brings to our great country? What started as a way for individuals to earn additional income has turned into a nightmare.
"Thankfully, TfL has done the research necessary to outline valid reasons why Uber’s license needs to be revoked."
Local taxi and private hire organisations have played a major role in helping the STPA understand why Uber has been negatively impacting on society for so long, the association said.
A spokesperson for the STPA, added: "One of the major reasons why Uber doesn’t belong here, outlined in a 62-page document produced by Bindmans LLP, suggests that Uber doesn’t play by the rules.
"The last thing you want from a transportation company is gross negligence. Additionally, the Local Taxi and Private Hire Organisations are constantly fighting to support living wages for drivers in the transportation industry.
"When the independent company operating in London known as Uber Britannica Limited has the indiscriminate power to set their own tariffs, it undermines the very core of what the STPA stands for. It’s estimated that taxi drivers have to drive approximately 100,000 miles per year to earn a London living wage.
"With Uber, that number is far higher and less achievable. Every time someone hails in Uber, they are supporting a company that doesn’t care to help drivers earn a living wage. Companies like this don’t have any place in our society and thanks to the STPA, we are slowly discovering the truth behind Uber’s practices."
TfL made the decision not to renew Uber's licence based on a number of safety concerns. It was revealed that around 14,000 journeys were undertaken by drivers who were able to gain illegal access to the driver platform compromising passenger safety.
The STPA finalised their statement by saying: "Urgent passenger safety issues have become a huge problem with Uber. Everything from intoxicated to unlicensed drivers causing accidents has occurred. As the old saying goes, anything that can go wrong will eventually go wrong. Uber simply provides a fertile playground where drivers manipulate the system for their personal financial gain."
