Thanet firms are concerned as Uber has been granted an operator licence and is now scheduling driver onboarding appointments in the area.

Andrew Doody, Chair of Thanet Private Hire Association, which represents local firms, United Taxis, Thanet Cars and Central Cars, who have served the local community for over forty years said: "We already have booking apps so Uber brings nothing new to Thanet. Plus, Uber also uses surge pricing so fares rise when demand is higher.

“Furthermore, having contacted several companies across the UK and read online about the effect Uber has on drivers’ earnings, over say a two-year period, it seems to be that a 50 per cent drop is common.

“This only leads to a drop in drivers and therefore a dramatic drop in service. Customers’ fares with these online rideshare faceless companies are frequently changing, sometimes within minutes, rising dramatically when busy.”

The three companies say there has been a driver shortage since Covid but Thanet has recovered from this, successfully restoring the number of licensed drivers to pre-pandemic levels.

In a statement they added: “We now offer reliable and safe services, even during peak times when wait times may extend. This issue is being addressed effectively, with a steady influx of local individuals obtaining their private hire licences under the rigorous and approved conditions set by Thanet District Council.

“Choosing one of our local taxi services guarantees not only safety and a deep understanding of our local routes and customers’ needs but also compliance with safeguarding and disability awareness standards. Furthermore, customers can trust the fare pricing, unlike Uber’s unpredictable surge pricing.

“Local hackney carriage drivers, who serve rail stations and community events, have expressed concerns about competing with the influx of Uber vehicles from outside the area. The last thing our community needs is to face the kind of protests now being seen in Darlington, Manchester, Blackpool and Bristol.”

Protests around the country have ranged from local drivers venting their frustration that Uber has, they say, an unfair advantage because it can circumvent the local authority’s licensing laws to Uber drivers demonstrating against plummeting incomes and demanding better pay and job protection.

TPHA says Uber does not contribute to the local economy, adding: “We believe in supporting local businesses that prioritise the safety and well-being of our residents. Together, we and the community champion local taxi companies as the safe, reliable choice.”

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On Tuesday, 22nd October, at 2pm, Conservative MPs, led by Saqib Bhatti MBE, will deliver a 130,000 signature petition with Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK, to Number 10 Downing Street.

The Downing Street Petition asks the Chancellor and Prime Minister to: “Don’t Hike Fuel Duty” in the October 30th Budget.

Over 70 Tory MPs have sent a letter to Rachel Reeves calling for the freeze on Fuel Duty to continue.

The letter can be viewed at https://fairfueluk.com/MPs-LettertoChancellor.pdf.

In addition, in just 30 hours, over 5,000 (and counting) FairFuelUK supporters have each emailed the Chancellor and the Ministers for Business, Energy, and Transport, calling for a cut in Fuel Duty.

Details can be viewed at https://fairfueluk.eaction.org.uk/Budget-Ministers.

Earlier last week, 55 Tory MPs, 2 Lib Dem MPs, but only 1 Labour MP attended the FairFuelUK walk-in reception in Parliament. Over 20,000 constituents had politely asked for their MP to participate in this event. The total disrespect for their constituents by ignoring their requests is shameful.

The Tory MPs and even the Lib Dems who attended openly declared they supported either a cut or, at the very least, a freeze in Fuel Duty. The Labour MP who did attend refused to comment but made a passing reference that his party colleagues had been whipped not to attend. This clearly indicates that Labour does not support motorists in their constituencies and will deliver a painful anti-driver Budget on Oct 30.

Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK, says: “Along with the scrapping of the winter fuel allowance and an inevitable National Insurance increase on employers, a hike in fuel duty will be economic and political suicide.

"In opposition, Labour always supported a continuing freeze on Fuel Duty. Now in Government, they see UK drivers as an easy cash cow to pay for their virtue signalling Net Zero fantasy.

"According to the Cebr, the long-term impact of increasing fuel duty now could lead to a staggering tax revenue collapse of more than 60% within five years and a fall in GDP. And in our recent opinion poll of over 80,000, 91.2% do not want fuel duty to be increased.

"We are delivering a 130,000 signatures petition calling the Chancellor to maintain a freeze in duty to No ten at 2 pm on Tuesday.”

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The Take Me Group has chosen the Rosie May Foundation as its charity of the year.

This partnership emerged after David Hunter, CEO of TakeMe, met with Mary Storrie, founder of the Foundation, to learn more about its work and mission.

The Rosie May Foundation, known for its innovative projects that empower women and support vulnerable children, aligns perfectly with Take Me's values, especially their commitment to community service and social responsibility.

David was particularly inspired by the Foundation’s initiative to provide Tuk-Tuk vehicles in Nepal and Sri Lanka, which are driven by women.

These pink Tuk-tuks offer female drivers the opportunity to earn a living in a traditionally male-dominated industry while also providing safe, reliable transportation for children, particularly for school trips.

Recognising the powerful impact of this initiative, Take Me's goal for the next year is to raise enough funds to purchase three more of these Tuk-Tuk vehicles, helping to expand the programme’s reach.

Through this initiative, the Take Me team—including both drivers and office staff—will participate in various fundraising activities, driven by a shared purpose of contributing to global causes.

In addition to supporting female taxi drivers, the funds raised will also help provide children in these regions with essential meals and safe transport to school, making a lasting difference in their lives.

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Portsmouth private hire drivers are fast running out of patience on hearing the news that the council is – yet again – about to deny its licensed private hire vehicles access to the city’s bus lanes.

At a meeting scheduled for 4pm on Thursday 24 October, in the Council Chamber, Portsmouth Guildhall, drivers' representatives are expecting to hear the bad news that their request for further bus lane access has been denied – yet again.

This is despite the successful trial of five bus lanes, lasting over 12 months, culminating in access to those bus lanes being made permanent.

Furthermore, the Licensing Committee has given its unanimous support to private hire vehicles having bus lane access – noting that such access would be strictly limited to Portsmouth licensed PHVs only.

Local Uber driver trade rep, Peter Sutherland, said: “Sources have informed us, ahead of the meeting on the 24th, that the Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr. Candlish, intends accepting various reports submitted by officers. The reports that we have seen are thin on detail, and have no research data attached.

"On that basis, almost anyone could commit something to paper, and claim it to be factual.”

Mr Sutherland went on to say: “There are over 1,100 Portsmouth licensed private hire vehicles in the city, and an additional 200 hackneys. We all provide the same service, and we have a good relationship with our hackney colleagues.”

"Cllr. Gerald Vernon-Jackson once commented that: 'Taxis and private hire were an important part of the city’s transport infrastructure.'

“If that is the case, and given that private hire carry approximately five times as many Portsmouth fare paying passengers – then why are we not afforded the same treatment?

"Why are we continually denied swifter journey times and shorter routes for our passengers?

"It’s an unacceptable double standard, by any measure, especially when this council is so keen to migrate the citizens of Portsmouth to public transport [of which we are part]. Perhaps if we had “FIRST BUS” logos on our doors, opinions may change.

"What makes all this even harder to swallow is that Cllr. Candlish [when discussing bus lane access] stated at a recent Licensing Consultative Group Meeting [attended by the trade, licensing officers and Councillors] that he, 'expected good news within a few weeks'. Not everything we wanted, but probably a minimum of 10 bus lanes, perhaps more.

"As recently as 23 September, at a Licensing Committee Meeting, Cllr. Vernon-Jackson told myself and my colleague, Mr Tamas Bodolai, when I expressed my concern about the officer’s report, that 'the Chair intended to override it, and that we shouldn’t worry'.

"Now my sources tell me the opposite is true. I hope I’m wrong. I hope the Cabinet Member looks favourably upon our request. I certainly hope it’s not a case of Councillors telling one thing to our faces, and another behind our backs. That would be quite distasteful.”

Local private hire drivers are becoming increasingly frustrated. Licensing fees always rise. The cost of licensing in Portsmouth is higher, and with greater demands, than any other local authority.

A continued migration of licensed vehicles is becoming inevitable, with the associated loss of revenue to a licensing office already running at a deficit. There are already 196 licensed Uber vehicles on Havant B.C., mainly Portsmouth based drivers.

Southampton and Brighton allow access to their bus lanes to ANY private hire vehicle, subject to registering on their database.

In Portsmouth, non-local hackneys can use local bus lanes, just not local licence fee paying private hires!

It is understood that Chair of Licensing, Cllr. Emily Strudwick, will make a deputation at the forthcoming meeting in support of the PHV drivers request, as will drivers’ representative, Mr Sutherland.

Interestingly, the former Chair of Licensing, Mr Scott Payter-Harris, is also listed to make a deputation in support of the drivers request for bus lane access.

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Tesla and Uber may team up to bring Tesla's new Cybercab Robotaxi to the ride-sharing platform, according to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

Khosrowshahi, in an interview with the Financial Times, expressed his enthusiasm for partnering with Tesla and other companies in the autonomous vehicle industry.

He specifically mentioned his desire to see the Cybercab, a two-seater self-driving vehicle designed for ride-hailing, integrated into Uber's platform.

Tesla has already made strides in the autonomous vehicle space, unveiling its own Robotaxi platform and developing a prototype of its ride-hailing app.

While the company has plans to launch its own service, a partnership with Uber, a well-established player in the industry, could accelerate its market penetration.

Khosrowshahi acknowledged the challenges of competing with Tesla and Elon Musk but emphasised Uber's commitment to collaboration.

He stated, "We believe in the spirit of partnership; we'll see what Tesla does."

While ride-sharing is a highly competitive market, Tesla's strong brand and existing business model could give it a significant advantage.

A partnership with Uber could provide Tesla with a ready-made customer base and distribution network, helping it quickly scale its Robotaxi service.

The potential collaboration between Tesla and Uber could mark a significant step forward in the development of self-driving taxis. 

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