ADCU has responded to Uber’s evidence to the Transport Committee’s inquiry into the licensing of taxi and private hire vehicles.

Drivers, and the organisations that represent them, are notably absent from the list of stakeholders Uber claims it is ready to work with to implement proposals made in the company’s evidence to the Transport Committee’s inquiry into the licensing of taxi and private hire vehicles.

“Government, authorities and safety partners” are all cited as key collaborators, but trade unions, including ADCU, which represents over 10,000 PHV drivers in the industry, receive no mention.

Cristina-Georgiana Ioanitescu, President of ADCU, comments: “The submission is a one-way street, controlled by Uber, with no space on the road for the PHV drivers that are the industry’s lifeblood.

"And while some of the proposals being made are interesting, such as the idea of national standards for PHVs, most of Uber’s evidence to the inquiry disregards the real experiences of drivers, and fails to address the challenges they face.”

ADCU is disappointed to see Uber still pushing back on the issue of cross-border licensing, claiming that the introduction of limits would reduce availability, lengthen waits for cars, and contribute to increases in illegal plying for hire.

On the contrary, ADCU members report, every day, that the reverse is true - cross-border licensing is negatively impacting their ability to make a living because, far from reducing availability, the areas they work in are often flooded with vehicles from other areas, driving down prices and increasing congestion and environmental pollution.

The issue of data-sharing is only addressed in relation to the operators being required to share data with authorities in the event of safety complaints. But Uber continually refuses to share data on pricing with drivers, meaning drivers often have no idea of the rate they’re going to be paid for a job, impacting their livelihoods and financial sustainability.

Uber highlights its increasing use of in-car and in-app video and audio, but fails to match this with a commitment to end its cruel and arbitrary policy of instant driver dismissals, without the right to appeal, whenever a rider makes a complaint.

ADCU is calling for the app-based companies to follow standard ACAS guidelines in relation to complaints against drivers, and for drivers to have the right to representation to the platform companies before being dismissed.

Ioanitescu adds: “Uber’s framing of technology as central to improving safety and compliance is fatally undermined by its continued use of the controversial and highly dangerous ‘Trip Radar’ function, which increases the risk of accidents, because it requires drivers to engage with their phones while driving, the dangers of which are obvious.

It also impacts drivers’ financial wellbeing by forcing them to take jobs miles away for relatively low fares, or sending them to areas where the demand for fares is too low to be financially viable.

There’s also no clarity from Uber on where liability lies in the event of an accident, which places drivers at risk of litigation.”

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