
Uber has pulled out of operating in Southend, just months after being granted a licence to operate in the city.
Southend City Council said that Uber has informed them it has chosen to surrender its private hire operator licence to operate in the city.
It’s understood that Uber decided to exit the city because they could not abide by all of the conditions that had been set by the council’s licensing committee. The company has not publicly confirmed this.
Your Southend reports that Uber is currently still operating in Southend and it’s unclear when they will cease to operate in the city.
Councillor Daniel Cowan, Leader of the Council, said: “The council always encourages businesses to operate in Southend, and following a formal application from Uber, the Licensing Sub-Committee reached a lawful decision to grant a licence on 15 December 2025.
“Uber has since informed us that it has chosen to surrender its licence. Whilst we remain open to applications from potential private hire operators wishing to work in the city, we are clear that all operators are held to the same fair standards and safeguards – those who choose not to adhere to our conditions will not be operating in Southend.”
Councillor Martin Terry, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Regulatory Services, said: “Credit is due to the Licensing Sub-Committee and council officers for their thorough and professional handling of this application.
"The committee followed the standard licensing process part of which involves adding conditions which take into consideration any evidence presented to them.
"There will be further opportunities for engagement as part of our upcoming review of taxi and private hire policy.”

The proposal is designed to modernise the licensing system, reduce duplication, and improve efficiency while maintaining all required safety, knowledge, and training standards.

At Bolton Council’s licensing committee on January 6, the council highlighted its strict stance on driver conduct, resulting in one suspension and one final warning for the operators involved.

The council is considering new rules that would require taxi & PH firms to carry out criminal record checks on all staff members and notify passengers if their driver is licensed in a different town.

The incident took place just before 1am on Wednesday, February 4, on Mardale Road, where a taxi parked on a private driveway was set on fire.

Darren McCartney, a former prison officer and hostage negotiator, appeared before the North Ayrshire Licensing Committee following objections from Police Scotland regarding his criminal record.

Drivers are proposing to scrap the percentage-based surcharge in favour of entirely new, higher fixed tariffs for larger vehicles carrying up to eight people.

The St Annes-on-Sea operator has partnered with Greenway Power Group (GPG) and the Patons Group to provide the technology, which is also being made available for public use.

Officers stormed properties on February 5, detaining a woman, 42, and a man, 46, on suspicion of fraud; a man, 22, on suspicion of handling stolen goods; nd a man, 18, on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking.

Abdulsalam Idlebi was found in breach of discrimination policies following the incident at a taxi rank on Irvine’s Bank Street last November.

Police have issued a fresh plea for help exactly one year after the body of 47-year-old Jesbir Singh Khela was discovered in a burnt-out car.

The cost of a standard one-year driver’s licence would jump from £150 to £165, while those opting for a three-year licence would see prices climb from £240 to £264.

Less than a third of taxi drivers in Greater Manchester are using new government-funded grants to switch to electric vehicles, according to research by the Clean Cities Campaign.

Under the new timeline, drivers must have a vehicle newer than a 2009 plate by December 1 of this year to renew their licence, with standards tightening further to a 2014 plate by 2028.

Research by Go.Compare Car Insurance found that 46% of adults “wouldn’t feel safe using a driverless Uber,” highlighting a significant hurdle for the government-backed technology currently being trialled in the capital.

Councillors in the Royal Borough are set to make a final decision on Monday 9 February, on a proposed 10 per cent increase to daytime taxi fares.

A North Ayrshire man has been denied a taxi licence following a "very serious" series of alcohol-fuelled offences that included stamping on a customer's face and assaulting police officers.

Alex Kendall, boss of British tech company Wayve, posted a video on social media to show off his car's “impressive drive without intervention” on his way to receive an OBE.

A Wolverhampton-licensed private hire driver's licence has been revoked for using illegal number plates and fraudulent insurance.

The pair, aged 50 and 23, convinced the driver to take them from Lisbon, Portugal, all the way to Barcelona, Spain.

Officers pulled over the Toyota Prius on Brown Street and discovered what they believe to be illegal drugs inside the car.
