Dominic Browne 28 November 2019

Manchester calls in Uber for urgent meeting

Uber's troubles have continued with Manchester City Council revealing it has requested an urgent meeting with the company over concerns regarding licensing rules.

The licence granted to Uber to operate in Manchester will expire on July 31 2021.

The city council requested a meeting with Uber in light of Transport for London's (TfL's) decision to strip the company of its licence to operate in the capital.

TfL complained that a change to Uber’s systems allowed unauthorised drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts for as many as 14,000 trips.

Cllr Rabnawaz Akbar, executive member for neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council, said: 'Whilst Uber as an operator provides many beneficial services to customers and has transformed the private hire industry, their business model does cause some concerns.

'Local licensing standards are undermined by the volume of drivers and vehicles working on the Uber platform - as well as some other operators in Manchester - that have been licensed by authorities with much lower standards and licence conditions.

'We work hard in Manchester to ensure that our residents and visitors are driven by drivers that are fit and proper to hold a licence, and in vehicles that are safe and high quality; but that is made immeasurably harder by drivers and vehicles flooding the city from other local authorities over whom we have no direct control.

'Whilst current legislation facilitates and allows this practice, we would hope that our licensed operators who wish to trade in the city, would work more closely with us and support the high standards that Manchester aims to provide to the travelling public.'

An Uber spokeswoman said: 'We work closely with licensing authorities across the country and want to reassure all councils that we have robust processes. TfL’s decision not to renew Uber’s licence is extraordinary and wrong, and we will appeal. We have fundamentally changed our business over the last two years and are setting the standard on safety across the UK.'

This article first appeared on Transport Network

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Senior/Principal Regeneration Officer

Fareham Borough Council
£45,465 - £55,379
Our town centre regeneration is moving from planning to delivery, and we're looking for someone who wants to help make regeneration happen. Fareham, Hampshire
Recuriter: Fareham Borough Council

Supporting Family Time Worker

Durham County Council
Grade 6 £29,071 - £32,046 pro rata to hours worked
We are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity to recruit Sessional Supporting Family Time Workers to join our dedicated team. As a seven-day-a-week Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

School Business Manager

Durham County Council
£ 39,481- £43,149
Permanent Contract, Full Time 37 hours per week Term Time Only Required to start 1/12/2026 (Or sooner if possible).   Required from December 2026 (Or Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Nursery Teaching Assistant

Durham County Council
£26,016 - £26,847 pro rata
Required from 2 November 2026 to 16 July 2027.  15 hour per week, Mon - Fri 8.45am-11.45am, term time only plus 2 weeks. The Governors of Wolsingham Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Clerical Officer

Durham County Council
£25,614- £26,016 (Pro Rata)
Permanent contract- Part Time- 27.5 hours per week (9
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner