"TfL has been accused of "kowtowing to Uber" at the expense of London's struggling black taxi industry"
TfL have recently refused to include the new Maaxi app on its website, which currently features Kabbee, ComCab, Hailo and Get Taxi among several others. A letter was sent to Maaxi's CEO Mr Campos, hours before the apps release suggesting that he should “consider postponing the launch”.
It's a shame TfL didn't consider postponing Uber's licence while they fully investigated implications of the apps legality.
In the letter, TfL new man Peter Blake, director of service operations for Surface Transport, warned Mr Campos that “there could be licensing implications for drivers working for Maaxi".
It has also come to light that TfL have blocked Maaxi’s sponsorship of a rainbow-coloured Taxi that will be driven on behalf of TfL’s in the Pride parade in London.
“It’s become very obvious that we are being bullied by TfL,” Mr Campos said, adding that Maaxi is not subject to TfL regulation but taxis and their drivers are.
“It’s like a police officer stopping you when you’ve done nothing wrong, but you still have to stop and show your ID. We cannot operate this way.”
Steve McNamara of the LTDA said:
“Maaxi wants to launch a perfectly legal sharing system that will bring taxi rides to a large swathe of Londoners who don’t use them ... and TfL is finding a reason why it can’t launch, it beggars belief. TfL have an agenda that certainly isn’t pro taxi and is kowtowing to Uber, the two are in bed together". Strong words from Steve.
Leon Daniels, TfL’s managing director of Surface Transport, said, "We have not treated, and do not treat, Uber any differently to any other London operator."
Leon, would that be apart from:
