Transport for London, the local body responsible for transport regulations in the U.K. capital, has published a set of proposals for changes to regulations pertaining to the operation of private hire vehicles (PHVs) in the city — with the stated aim of improving passenger safety.
Any rule changes would of course affect the operation of Uber’s on-demand business in London, so the company has mobilized its U.K. users, urging them to sign a petition against the proposed new rules — which it dubs “bureaucratic”, arguing they would signal the end of the Uber “you know and love.”
TfL’s new PHV consultation runs till late December, with any new rules set to be implemented early next year — based on the feedback it receives on the proposals. It’s the second consultation TfL has kicked off this year. The earlier March consultation garnered some 4,000 responses, and has been used to shape the proposals in the latest consultation, according to a TfL spokesman.
The regulations on PHV in London date back to 1998. The spokesman noted there has been a big increase in PHVs in the city in recent years — which is why it’s consulting on changes now. Recent stats from the U.K. government’s Department for Transport recorded a 25.9 percent hike in PHVs operating in London between 2013 and 2015. Over the same period London taxi numbers increased by just 1.5 percent.
Writing in the consultation documents, TfL states:
The proposals run to some 25 points — and include several changes that would have an obvious impact on Uber’s operations. Uber is of course able to participate in the consultation, by submitting its feedback to TfL, along with all the other PHV firms in London.
Among proposals TfL is considering are that:
Uber does not offer a pre-booking facility so that’s one proposed change that would cause an obvious operational headache for the business.
The Uber app also displays bookable cars in the user’s vicinity in real-time — which is pretty much the killer feature of the app, from a UX point of view, so being forced to ditch that would likely make Uber a whole lot less sticky. Add to that, the proposed requirement to have a five-minute pre-pick-up wait time would also erode Uber’s convenience — near real-time pick-ups from a customer’s location are a key reason the app has been able to poach customers from existing PHV businesses, and steal a march on traditional taxi businesses.
Responding to the TfL consultation, Uber provided the following statement to TechCrunch — attributed to Jo Bertram, its Regional General Manager, UK, Ireland and Nordics — in which it claims the changes are aimed at protecting London’s black cabs, rather than improving passenger safety:
Uber now has more than 1 million users in the U.K., along with 18,000 drivers in London alone.
The company has used that platform to mobilize a lobbying effort to fight the proposed changes, messaging U.K. users to ask them to sign a petition — and following similar lobbying tactics to those it deployed in New York recently to steer off regulatory changes there.
At the time of writing, Uber’s petition has gained just under 80,000 signatures (or around 8 percent of its U.K. user base) — with the company touting that it’s getting a signature per minute.
In the consultation document, TfL adds that it already intends to take forward certain other measures — including a requirement for disability awareness training, noting that groups representing disabled passengers have told of “many issues” with availability and “more general attitude to those with disabilities.”
TfL writes:
Update: Uber is not the only taxi app complaining about TfL’s proposed rule changes. London based Kabbee, a minicab booking and price comparison app, said in its view most of the new rules are “ultimately designed to benefit black taxi drivers, over the 78K+ private hire drivers in London”.
In a statement, CEO and founder Justin Peters said: “We strongly urge TfL to consider making a set of requirements that are applicable and fair to both parties, as each one plays an essential role in providing a safe and reliable transport service for Londoners.”
“We disagree with a five minute delay for bookings, as GPS technology enables operators to provide a better customer experience and reduce waiting times. Reduced waiting times benefit drivers and Londoners alike so TfL should be careful putting forward legislation that means everyone waits longer,” he added.
