Hailo Takes Fight To Uber With Daimler Deal

Sky News has learnt that Hailo will announce on Tuesday that it is to become part of the Mercedes-Benz-owner's portfolio in an effort to take on Uber, the world's most valuable taxi-hailing app.

Sources said that Hailo, which launched in 2011, had been seeking a strategic investor for some time.

The company's existing investors include some of the technology sector's biggest names, including Accel, Wellington Partners as well as entrepreneurs such as Sir Richard Branson.

Daimler acquired MyTaxi, which claims to be Europe's leading taxi-booking app, in 2014, having bought an initial stake in its owner, Intelligent Apps, two years earlier.

This week's deal will see another tech start-up devoured by a major corporate name operating in its industry, underlining their determination to capture the growth emanating from new distribution models.

Volkswagen, which is reeling from the impact of its US diesel emissions scandal, recently invested $300m in Gett, an Israeli taxi venture.

The terms of the investment in Hailo, including the size of the stake that would continue to be held by external investors, were unclear on Monday.

Hailo, which operates in markets including Ireland, Japan and Spain as well as several British cities, also made an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate the US taxi market.

The company has raised roughly $100m in total since its launch, including most recently from a group of unnamed Asian investors to accelerate its growth.

Uber has continued to raise billions of dollars from investors across the globe even as it has faced regulatory roadblocks in a number of major markets.

Hailo declined to comment on Monday.

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Uber Decide They Don't Need Operator Licence

 The march to global domination of taxi app firm Uber has halted in parts of the North East at least.

After submitting applications to operate in Gatesheadand North Tyneside several months ago, Uber suddenly decided to withdraw their applications.

A Gateshead Council spokeswoman said: “Uber Britannia Ltd applied to the council to be licensed to operate taxis in Gateshead. In June this year, after a number of months of discussion, the company informed us it was withdrawing its application.”

Meanwhile North Tyneside Council said the application was first submitted on October 25, 2015 and it was withdrawn on June 1, 2016.

Neither council would say if the company gave any reason for its withdrawal.

A North Tyneside spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, due to commercial sensitivity, we aren’t able to provide any further detail.”

In April last year, Newcastle became one of 400 cities around the world to give permission to the ride-hailing platform to operate since it was launched in 2010.

This April, Sunderland joined its ranks while we understand an application is also being considered by Northumberland.

Chris Chandler, spokesman for the National Taxi Association in the North East, suggested the applications might have been withdrawn as Uber wasn’t able to meet the criteria laid down for taxi firms operating in those areas.

Mr Chandler, a long term critic of Uber whose operation he describes as “spreading like germs”, said many of its drivers had no local knowledge and would fail any ‘locality tests’ on knowing the patch they are in, known as ‘the knowledge’. Its drivers rely heavily on sat navs.

Newcastle City Council was criticised last year by long established operators after it scrapped the stringent test which demanded cabbies had in depth knowledge of the area they cover, opening the door for Uber to start up there.

Bosses at the city council say the decision to make the changes related to pending Government legislation, and the increased use of satellite navigation systems and app based systems.

To use Uber, passengers download its app on their smartphone which then uses GPS enabled maps to locate them, and they can request a nearby taxi with the press of a button.

The app then provides the taxi driver’s photo, name and car registration and users can watch the taxi approaching via a moving symbol on the map.

Uber spokesman in the North East, Harry Porter, said: “There’s been a lot of noise from a couple of local operators. The simple fact is the applications were withdrawn because we didn’t need the expense.

“We submitted applications in North Tyneside and Gateshead back in 2015. Since then, Uber has grown rapidly and we’ve been really pleased with how popular the service has become throughout the North East.

“We spent many months waiting for our applications to be progressed but our growth was not hampered in the meantime, so we decided there was no need to pursue these any further and instead focus on getting on with serving the region.”

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Taxi And Limousine Commission Vote To Limit Cabbies’ Working Hours

Starting in November, cab drivers will not be allowed to drive for more than 12 hours a day.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission is trying to get drowsy drivers off the road.

On Monday July 18, the TLC voted to pass new rules that limit cab drivers from being on the road more than 12 hours daily and 72 hours weekly. These limits would apply to the more than 140,000 drivers licensed by the TLC, including taxi, limousine, commuter van, black car and Uber drivers.

The rules, which were proposed in May, are aimed at tackling driver fatigue, something the TLC has taken more seriously since an elderly Manhattan woman was fatally struck by a taxi in May 2015. Since then, the TLC has collected research from the Centers for Disease Control, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the National Sleep Foundation and the US Federal Highway Administration, which concluded that driving fatigued is similar to driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to the TLC, the data also revealed that over 2014 and 2015, “the crash rate of taxi drivers working more than 12 hours in a day was 23.8 percent higher than for those who worked 12 or fewer hours in a day. Over the same two-year period, the crash rate of taxi drivers working more than 72 hours in a week was 8.6 percent higher than for those who worked 72 or fewer hours in a week.”

TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi said in a public statement, “The work of TLC-licensed drivers is critical to the movement of the City. To minimize the risk of a crash, drivers must be alert, which requires rest. But these crashes are preventable with a reasonable limit on the hours during which a driver can pick-up passengers. Today’s proposal does that.”

However, the TLC admitted in its proposal that the new rules will only affect a minority of drivers. It stated, “Only a small percentage of drivers ordinarily surpass the new limits; 3 percent typically drive more than 12 hours per day, and less than 7 percent drive for more than 72 hours per week.” The TLC hoped this would calm concerned cab drivers who fear the new rules will cap their earnings.

The BK Reader reached out to the New York Taxi Workers Alliance for comment but it said it will withhold comments until the new rules are implemented in November.

Despite Monday’s vote the TLC’s new rules are subject to change before they go into affect on November 1 as the commission is still figuring out its exact method of enforcement.

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Fatal bus stop crash in Hornchurch

A taxi driver died after crashing into the bus stop in Station Lane, Hornchurch

The suburban taxi driver died and two of his passengers were injured, after crashing into a bus stop.

Police were called to the incident at 12.50am this morning.

The collision happened in Station Lane, Hornchurch, just outside the tube station.

Paramedics were in attendance but the Taxi driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

A male and female passenger were taken to an east London hospital for treatment.

The road was closed off by police shortly after the crash and Hornchurch tube station was shut for a brief period. 

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed that next of kin had been informed and a post mortem examination will be held in due course.

Enquiries continue.

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Taxis 'must be allowed in Oxford Street even after it's pedestrianised'

Taxis must be allowed to continue to access Oxford Street even after it is pedestrianised, the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association has said.

Plans to transform the world famous shopping street into a car-free zone were unveiled by the Mayor of London’s office earlier this month.

City Hall said all vehicles will be banned on a 1.2 mile stretch from Tottenham Court Road to Bond Street Tube station by 2020 to coincide with the launch of Crossrail, the new east to west train line.  

The project is among measures introduced by Mayor Sadiq Khan to tackle London’s air pollution.

But the LTDA said it objects to any restriction on taxis’ access, which would have a detrimental impact on those who require a door-to-door service including wheelchair users and the elderly. 

“We agree with the Mayor that the levels of congestion and the poor air quality on Oxford Street are unsustainable," a spokesman for the LTDA said.

“At last month’s Transport Committee hearing on this issue, there was a general consensus that reducing bus services was the best way to alleviate these problems. We are glad to hear that the Mayor intends to reroute bus services away from Oxford Street. 

“However, it is essential that taxis are allowed to continue to access Oxford Street, as they provide an invaluable service to shoppers and businesses alike, especially those who rely on a door-to-door service, such as wheelchair users, the visually impaired, the elderly, those with luggage and shoppers with young families. 

“Taxis are a fundamental part of the Oxford Street experience for tourists and all new cabs will be emissions-free from next year.” 

Oxford Street’s transformation would be carried out in two stages to minimise disruption with the first phase of construction on the eastern section from Oxford Circus onwards.

City Hall has vowed to work closely with local business and taxi drivers to meet the needs of the elderly and disabled using the busy shopping street.

A Mayor of London spokesman said: “The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street will make this world famous street safer, and improve the air quality for the thousands of people who use it every day. 

“It will be a phased programme of work overall several years, working closely with local businesses, residents and key stakeholders like taxi drivers and groups that represent disabled people. 

“This will include looking carefully at addressing the particular needs of older people and access for wheelchair users.”

• Source : Standard News

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Uber BANNED from setting up the cheap taxi app in Oxford after licensed drivers and private hire firms rallied together to block the application

Taxi drivers are celebrating a victory over Uber after the firm was barred from launching in Oxford.

Uber applied to operate in the city after 50,000 people tried to access the service there in a year, despite it not being available.

But licensed drivers and private hire firms rallied together to try and block the firm, which allows users to request a car through its mobile phone app.

Two of the city's biggest private hire firms, 001 Taxis and Royal Cars, merged and launched their own app earlier this year to combat the potential threat.

Uber applied to operate in Oxford after 50,000 people tried to access the service there in a year, despite it not being available (stock image)

They also raised concerns about the safety of Uber, questioning whether its drivers would abide by Oxford City Council's regulations.

A year after announcing its intention to move to the city, Uber's bid has been rejected as the company 'didn't get around to' submitting vital details in time.

Local cabbies are delighted at the decision.

Niaz Mohammed, managing director of Royal Cars, said: 'It's great news for us and our customers.

'We were very concerned about the safety of Uber and whether its drivers would abide by Oxford City Council's regulations.

'Their goal is to close down all the other companies and they would have disrupted the system that has been in place for many years.'

City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association secretary Sajad Khan added: 'I'm very pleased and I'm sure all the city's drivers are.

'It would have been devastating for our trade and they would have wrecked the current system.

'They charge awkward fares and there is also the question of safety. Our drivers go through very stringent checks but you hear some worrying stories about Uber drivers.'

A spokesman for Uber said it would not rule out reapplying in the future.

This comes as plans to ban Oxford's black cabs from a new road to the city's shopping centre were put on hold.

Two of Oxford's biggest private hire firms, 001 Taxis and Royal Cars, merged and launched their own app earlier this year to combat the potential threat 

Source : Daily Mail 

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Uber In The Dock Using Doublespeak Over Job Creation Claims

Lawyers representing Uber workers have accused the company of “doublespeak” and speaking with “forked tongues” over claims of job creation and its relationship with drivers.

The minicab app company is fighting legal action from drivers who argue they are employees of the organisation rather than independent operators running their own businesses.

Uber says it is a technology company rather than a transport provider, working with “driver partners” who have a “commonality of interest” and offering them flexibility to control how much and often they work.

But Thomas Linden QC, representing James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam in two test cases, suggested to the central London employment tribunal that Uber was hiding behind language to claim that its drivers are not employees of the business.

He cited a response from Uber to Transport for London in October 2014 in which the company claimed it could “generate tens of thousands of jobs in the UK” by working with jobcentres and agencies to help people become Uber drivers.

Linden told Jo Bertram, Uber’s UK general manager, that the statement was “blowing Uber’s trumpet as a creator of jobs”.

Bertram suggested the word “jobs” had been misused, telling the tribunal: “I am saying the correct word to use here is an ‘economic opportunity to earn money’.”

But Linden accused the company of boasting about the idea of job creation when it suited it but dismissing the idea that drivers were employees when it did not. He said: “My suggestion to you is that Uber speaks with forked tongues.”

Bertram replied: “We emphasise that it is ‘economic opportunities’. I agree that use of the word ‘jobs’ in this context may be misleading but we are very proud of the economic opportunities that we offer.”

Linden also accused Uber of doublespeak when he said on the one hand it described itself as a technology company, like Apple, but on the other told passengers it was offering them “Uber transport” with “Uber drivers”.

He suggested a process the company calls “onboarding” was actually another word for recruitment, saying to Bertram: “You want to avoid any idea that drivers may have an employment relationship with Uber.”

Bertram replied: “Because they don’t.”

The tribunal also heard that of the 30,000 registered Uber drivers in London, 99.9% operate individually, and just 68 run small businesses with other drivers operating under them as other Uber drivers.

In her witness statement, Bertram cited a poll of 551 Uber drivers that showed the majority in the capital did not use the Uber app platform on a full-time basis, that 72% use it for less than 40 hours a week, and more than 50% use Uber to supplement their main income.

But Linden said Uber had commissioned the work to support its case in the tribunal, and it was nothing to do with employment rates.

He suggested that important statistics – 61% of drivers do not have another job, and 80% of drivers say their Uber work is a significant source of income and rely on it for their livelihoods – were buried.

Bertram dismissed his claim that Uber had asked for the poll to support its case as “a bit of a stretch”, saying: “It showcases the opportunities available to drivers.”

In her statement, Bertram said drivers were their own boss and were under no obligation to log on to the Uber app. She said: “They can do so whenever they choose, at whatever time they choose. There is also no requirement on them to only use the Uber platform.

“They can contract with, work for or be employed by any company or also have other business interests on a self-employed basis.”

The tribunal, which continues on Friday, is the first time Uber has faced legal action in the UK over whether its drivers are workers or self-employed.

The test cases will determine another 17 claims that have been brought against Uber and could have wider implications for thousands more drivers across the country.

Source: The Guardian 

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