Another Rat Deserts Uber's Sinking Ship

Uber’s European policy chief just quit

In another blow to the company, Uber’s European policy chief Christopher Burghardt has left the company, the Financial Times reports [paywall]. 

Burghardt’s departure follows the departure of Uber’s U.K. boss earlier this month and comes in the middle of Uber’s battle with London over the future of its services there. Burghardt is leaving to become managing director for the electric vehicle charging network company Chargepoint in Europe. 

His role there will begin in November. Burghardt told the FT his decision to move on was “independent of anything that is happening at Uber.” He also noted:

For me this is a choice because I really believe in Chargepoint and the advent of the electric vehicle. Europe at the point of getting to mass market adoption of electric vehicles, and Chargepoint is at the forefront of that.

“I’m still a great believer in what Uber does. [New Uber CEO] Dara [Khosrowshahi] really has vision that will take the company into a bright future.”

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Hull On The List Of Councils Where Uber Will Not Apply For A Licence.

Uber will not be operating in Hull as it scraps expansion plans in nine cities.

Taxi-giant Uber has abandoned its plans to expand into Hull after losing its license in the capital earlier this month.

Earlier this year, Uber announced its plans to launch in nine new cities including, Hull, Oxford, South Tynesyde and Bournemouth.

But now it has withdrawn its applications for the use of its cars in these locations, reports the Times. 

The decision to withdraw the applications was made after Uber was asked a series of questions by the Local Government Association (LGA).

The LGA wanted to determine whether the company’s claim that it “does not provide transportation services” and simply operates using an app connecting “independent contractors” with passengers are true.

Questions included: “If Uber has no involvement in the contract between the customer and the driver of the vehicle, who accepts the booking? If Uber accepts the booking, how does it have no involvement in the contract between the customer and the driver?”

Uber is already in danger of losing its license in Brighton after it was revealed it had broken its promise to only use local drivers and vehicles.

Uber has also been refused a license in Reading and has been told it will not be granted one in Southend-on-Sea.

Transport for London also refused to renew the company’s license last month, although Uber still continues to take bookings in the city, pending an appeal. The decision was back by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Hull City Council has confirmed Uber has withdrawn its application to use its taxis in the city.

Uber said: “Uber has been granted more than 80 licenses by councils. Over the last year a small number of licence applications lapsed while we focused on other areas.

“On rare occasions we’ve not pursued applications as proposed conditions didn’t fit with how our app works.”....you really couldn't make that up lol.

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Sadiq Khan’s ‘40,000 pollution deaths a year’ is a zombie statistic and isn’t true, says respiratory physician.

At last the truth about London's pollution.

Sadiq Khan’s figure on pollution deaths is a “zombie statistic and it’s simply not true,” according to a respiratory physician.

Figures have been released claiming pollution causes almost 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK. Air pollution is also said to cause a total 340,000 years of lost life in the UK.

Figures originated from a Royal College of Physicians report and Mr Khan has cited the figures in announcing measures to cut pollution in London.

But Tony Frew, respiratory physician at the University of Brighton, told Julia Hartley-Brewer this is merely an example of a “zombie statistic”, meaning “however much you try to kill it it comes back and it’s simply not true.”

He explained that the 340,000 life years figure doesn’t equate to real life, and in reality each person loses only about three days from their lifespan as a result of pollution.

Frew also said that the 40,000 deaths a year figure is “a guess” using information about two pollutants which overlap.

He added that pollution levels are “illegal because we made it illegal, not because it’s dangerous.”

Source : Stemorris . com

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Jeremy Corbyn's Speech To Young Labour: An Uber Co-Op Run By The Drivers, Sharing Profits.

Jeremy Corbyn's speech to the Co-Op party (the one the United Cabbies Group [UCG] have alined themselves with) ahead of the Young Labour Policy Conference.

"Labour is thinking radically about how we can use the power of new technology in the coming decades to make our economy work for us all.

"Technology of the digital age should empower us as workers and consumers, allowing us to cooperate in a way that wasn’t possible in the past.

"Imagine an Uber run co-operatively by their drivers, collectively controlling their future, with profits shared or re-invested."

And again! No mention of the high number of rapes and sexual assaults from this company who enabled it's drivers to work with fake DBS criminal record check certificates!!!

Jeremy, we've all ready got that....a collective of professional highly regulated drivers non dependent on foreign multi billion dollar slave drivers, controlling their own future in line with government legislation and local regulation....it's called the Hackney Black Cab Taxi industry!!!

Jeremy, imagine a London devoid of the traditional Black cabs...25,000 full tax paying drivers put out of work by a foreign Non-dom tax avoiding company who uses slave labour, most drawing state benefits, many with fakes criminal record checks on its drivers, fakes medicals, allows the hacking of customers accounts, spies on its customers and doesn't report complaints of sex attacks by its drivers on customers to the police??? 

Is this the future Labour wants for the UK Jeremy?

Taxi Leaks Extra Bit :

London also has one of the largest and most comprehensive bus networks in the world, with 9000 buses running on 700 bus routes, as well as 20 tube lines providing a 24hour service at weekends and around 100,000 non-Uber Minicabs and Taxis.

Even if Uber are not relicensed, no one will find themselves stranded in London. 

If TFL capitulates to public and political pressure based on the arguments being made, that they have 3.5 million users, it could set a very troubling precedent. 

If a company can get away with illegal and unethical behaviour simply because it has a lot of customers, it would send out the message that the richest corporations are above the law in London. 

Let's get one thing straight....uber drivers are self-employed as Minicab drivers!

If uber lose their operators licence, the drivers still remain self-employed Minicab drivers....they haven't lost their licenses.

They can work as self-employed Minicab drivers for anyone of the other 2,500 fit and proper TfL licensed operators in the capital.

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Vaughan Williams Gives His View On The Uber Question.

Article in the New Statesman : The Right are defending Uber, because they don't really understand it...

Click link for article :

http://ift.tt/2xAqAZb

TAXI LEAKS COMMENT, BY PRODUCER OF THE KNOWLEDGE, VAUGHAN WILLIAMS :

It's come to something when a lifelong Conservative voter like me is posting stuff from the New Statesman. Not that I'm likely to fling myself into the embrace of the sinister Mr McDonnell either, as I don't believe in the demonisation and penalisation of financial success and I remember the Brain Drain of the 60s/70s. Perhaps political, as well as physical, homelessness is just another feature of these strange times. 

I'm not sure whether this latest initiative of genius from the Tories is another doomed attempt to get down with the kids, or a defence of robber-baron laissez-faire economics. They are trotting out rehashed Uber propaganda about job losses, when the "jobs" don't exist because the independently-licensed drivers still have the cars so will simply and quickly migrate to other, hopefully more socially responsible minicab platforms. Members of the British public are not as stupid as you seem to think, chaps, and recognise blatant lies when they see them. 

The Conservatives are already vulnerable on the topic of Uber, given the unfortunate association between the Cameron circle and the company, so why on Earth are they queueing up to defend a company which is rapidly becoming a byword for the unacceptable face of capitalism ? 

Uber lost its licence because they it was deemed not fit and proper to run a minicab company. The company's culture has been that of a technology startup - break the rules, the end justifies the means - a stance that is incompatible with providing a safe and socially responsible service to the public in a regulated environment. 

So what is the Government saying ? :

" well, they MAY have been a bit rapey, but hey Sadiq, don't be TOO hard on them. They are known for being sensitive souls desperate to please, so a little slap on the wrist would have been enough. "

In harsh evidence that this vicious over-reaction against a digital innovator will brand the UK as the enemy of progress, I understand that Lyft are in discussions with TfL with a view to providing exactly the same service as Uber, but in a more socially responsible and adult manner.

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Vaughan Williams Gives His View On The Uber Question.

Article in the New Statesman : The Right are defending Uber, because they don't really understand it...

Click link for article :

http://ift.tt/2xAqAZb

TAXI LEAKS COMMENT, BY PRODUCER OF "THE KNOWLEDGE", VAUGHAN WILLIAMS :

It's come to something when a lifelong Conservative voter like me is posting stuff from the New Statesman. Not that I'm likely to fling myself into the embrace of the sinister Mr McDonnell either, as I don't believe in the demonisation and penalisation of financial success and I remember the Brain Drain of the 60s/70s. Perhaps political, as well as physical, homelessness is just another feature of these strange times. 

I'm not sure whether this latest initiative of genius from the Tories is another doomed attempt to get down with the kids, or a defence of robber-baron laissez-faire economics. They are trotting out rehashed Uber propaganda about job losses, when the "jobs" don't exist because the independently-licensed drivers still have the cars so will simply and quickly migrate to other, hopefully more socially responsible minicab platforms. Members of the British public are not as stupid as you seem to think, chaps, and recognise blatant lies when they see them. 

The Conservatives are already vulnerable on the topic of Uber, given the unfortunate association between the Cameron circle and the company, so why on Earth are they queueing up to defend a company which is rapidly becoming a byword for the unacceptable face of capitalism ? 

Uber lost its licence because they it was deemed not fit and proper to run a minicab company. The company's culture has been that of a technology startup - break the rules, the end justifies the means - a stance that is incompatible with providing a safe and socially responsible service to the public in a regulated environment. 

So what is the Government saying ? :

" well, they MAY have been a bit rapey, but hey Sadiq, don't be TOO hard on them. They are known for being sensitive souls desperate to please, so a little slap on the wrist would have been enough. "

In harsh evidence that this vicious over-reaction against a digital innovator will brand the UK as the enemy of progress, I understand that Lyft are in discussions with TfL with a view to providing exactly the same service as Uber, but in a more socially responsible and adult manner.

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Uber Lodges Appeal At Marylebone Magistrates Court Over London Ban

REUTERS : Uber has filed an appeal against the decision by London authorities to deny it a licence to operate in London.

Last month, Transport for London (TfL) refused Uber a new private hire licence, saying the ride-hailing firm was not fit and proper.

TfL said it took the decision on the grounds of "public safety and security implications".

The appeal process could take months, during which time Uber can continue to operate in London.

"While we have today filed our appeal so that Londoners can continue using our app, we hope to continue having constructive discussions with Transport for London. As our new CEO [chief executive] has said, we are determined to make things right," an Uber spokesperson said.

Earlier this month, Uber's new chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi met Mike Brown, who runs Transport for London.

Uber described those talks as "constructive", while TfL said the talks "centred on what needs to happen to ensure a thriving taxi and private hire market in London.

Source : Reuters. 

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