London taxi’s protest over app

Jun 11, 2014

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London’s black-cab drivers are set to hold a protest against a rival mobile app they claim breaks the law by acting as a meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in the capital.

london taxi

The BBC reported on the latest in a series of protests across Europe as traditional cab services express anger over what they regard as a lack of regulation of Uber.

Cabbies are unhappy that Uber is using a mobile app to work out the cost of rides.

They argue this is tantamount to a taxi meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in London.

The Metropolitan Police says conditions have been imposed on protesters after they failed to meet officers to discuss their plans.

Garrett Emmerson, Transport for London’s chief operating officer for surface transport, said: “A number of taxi drivers are set to cause pointless disruption for Londoners over a legal issue that is down to the courts to decide upon.

The Google-backed app allows users to order a car at the touch of a button, and the fare is calculated using GPS tracking.

Garrett Emmerson, TfL’s chief operating officer for surface transport, said: “A number of taxi drivers are set to cause pointless disruption for Londoners over a legal issue that is down to the courts to decide upon.

There are some 25,000 black cabs in London which can be flagged down in the street and use a metre to calculate fares.

There are a further 44,000 private-hire minicabs which must be pre-booked with a set fare and destination.

Uber has been the focus of anger from taxi drivers across European countries, including Spain and France.

On Wednesday Uber announced that a black cab service was being added to its app platform, meaning drivers of the classic London cab can now be booked through the app if they sign up.