Uber lashes out against private hire clampdown

TAXI APP Uber has lashed out against proposals to tighten private hire regulation.

Transport for London (TFL) has launched a consultation on a series of measures that would affect minicab drivers in the capital. They include the introduction of an interval of at least five minutes between a booking and the start of a journey, to allow drivers to plan an appropriate route.

Other proposals involve a requirement for drivers to pass an English language test and a map reading assessment, while firms could have to operate a fixed landline telephone and accept bookings up to seven days in advance.

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TfL said: “We are launching a public consultation in order to inform and improve the regulations that govern the capital’s private hire trade.

“No final decisions have been made and we’re keen to hear a range of views from the trade and from Londoners too.”

Uber is urging its customers to sign a petition as it warned the plans “will mean an end to the Uber you know and love today”.

The $50bn Silicon Valley company is one of the fastest growing, most valuable and most controversial technology start-ups and has faced protests and clashes with regulators around the world.

It launched in Yorkshire last year and operates services in Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford and Sheffield.