Meeting: Mayor's Question Time
Date: Thursday, 17 May 2018
Reference: Question 2018/1265
Main question.......David Kurten
TfL allowed Uber to operate in the on-demand market without changing the legislation, holding a consultation or informing the Taxi Industry. Taxis and Private Hire (PH Vehicles) now operate in the same market. Taxis (stringently regulated) have to compete with PH who benefit from light touch regulation. TfL decide what vehicle Taxis drivers drive and set their fares, leaving drivers with no control or choice with regards to costs. PH Operators on the other hand have the flexibility to bring down fares and PH drivers have multiple choices of vehicles to keep their outgoings to a minimum. How do you expect the taxi trade to survive in London with such disparity created by TfL?
Answer..........The Mayor
Transport for London (TfL) regulates according to standards that are provided for in primary legislation and regulations designed to ensure public safety. It also regularly consults on changes to taxi fares and tariffs.
As you will be aware my Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan contains a number of measures to maintain a vibrant two tier market in London that gives space for all service providers to flourish. This includes measures designed to improve safety in the private hire industry and to support our world renowned taxis.
TfL recently published a new policy statement setting out how private hire and ride-sharing services will operate in London in the future. The policy has been written in response to changes in the private hire industry and the many new services being offered. It has been designed to ensure London remains the world leader in regulating taxi and private hire services while maintaining public safety.
TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT :
WTF is Khan talking about "designed to ensure London remains the world leader in regulating taxi and private hire service"
Why is no one challenging Khans statement?
Who told him the regulators were the best in the world?
London's Private a Hire Trade (since the implementation of a Uber) has seen the statistics on OH driver rape and sexual assault go through the roof!
TfL have allowed an illegal operation to carry on in London for the last 6 years.
An operation which has drivers with fake medicals and an alarming 13,000 drivers with fake criminal record DBS certificates. TfL have allowed this???
Hotels.com held a survey of the public around the world and it was the London Taxi trade that was voted the best in the world for eight years straight.....not the regulators who would feature somewhere close to the bottom.
What Khan should have said:
London has the best and most stringently regulated taxi service in the world, but with a virtually unregulated and unsafe private hire trade allowed by TfL who obviously don't care about public safety.
This video below is a must watch and a warning to those who think we have nothing to worry about!
Click the link