Agenda item

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It was reported had been eight registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Flick Williams spoke under the general remit of the committee on progress towards getting additional wheelchair accessible vehicles on the road. She noted that in June 2022 there was a report to committee including information on wheelchair accessible taxis and that she had spoken at previous meetings on the matter. She was disappointed to see that it had not been included on the agenda and noted that there should be another unmet demand survey this year. She added that approving the Uber application would make the situation worse for disabled people and she explained how inequity for disabled people had worsened. He noted her inequality concerns with disabled people being refused taxis. She urged refusal of the Uber application.

The remaining seven registrations to speak were on agenda item 4 Application for a Private Hire Operator's licence - Mr Neil McGonigle on behalf of Uber Britannia Limited ('Uber').

Suba Miah urged the committee to consider the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. He noted that it was almost seven years since the previous Uber application was refused. He added that that every day he saw out of town Uber vehicles the rules and he believed that this was due to surge pricing. He noted York taxi drivers fare charges. He noted that the out of town Uber drivers had not completed the York safety test and he noted his concerns about their insurance. He asked the committee to ensure a fair playing field to allow all already licensed in York, including hackney carriages, to apply for an Uber licence.

Daniel Smith explained that Uber broke section 6 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 adding that Labour had promised to change that law. He noted that Uber were not fit and proper to have a York licence. He gave examples of the practices of Uber drivers which included picking up illegal passengers at ranks. He stated there was a lack of the monitoring of it and that York operators did monitor this. He expressed concern that how safe the cars used by Uber were and that the Uber office would be empty and not manned. He added that public safety was a huge risk with Uber drivers.

Arfan Asif explained that Uber operated in York and not under York rules. He added that all Uber drivers will be able to apply for a York licence and could work for York operators. He asked a number of questions about Uber and urged the committee to refuse the licence to reaffirm it’s commitment to just and fair and making it safe for visitors.

Muhammad Sulaman noted that Uber did not have a licence and operated in York. He explained that he had passed his taxi knowledge test and added that when he outside drivers were seen this made York taxi drivers feel low. He noted that he was unsure why Uber drivers work in York and break so many rules. He noted that since Uber had come to York, York drivers worked extra hours and could not spend time with their families.

Darren Avey (Director of York Station Taxis and Chair of YPTA) urged the committee not to grant the licence and work in grey areas. He gave examples of how Uber works and the fines imposed to settle claims across the world. He noted the safety of passengers and added that there were too many reports of accidents by Uber drivers. He noted that their business model was unethical and he highlighted the impact on local drivers. He explained the increase in Uber drivers on race days and the impact of it. He noted it was imperative to prioritise the wellbeing of local communities.

Gary Graham (Member of YHCA and YTAD) explained the reasons why Uber should not be granted a licence and why it was not fit and proper. He noted that Uber was a middle man and facilitator. He noted the unfair working practices by Uber and it’s pricing. Her added that if York taxi companies were run like that they would have their licences removed. He noted that if the licence was granted, the council would not be fit and proper.

Arshad Mahmood (Chairman of York City Taxi Association) noted that there were 84 wheelchair users . He added that the report was misleading and did not include out of town drivers operating illegally. He explained that Uber ruined the livelihoods of York hackney carriage drivers and that wheelchair access hackney carriages were not available. He asked why York should trust Uber and asked for conditions to stop using out of town vehicles and user York hackney carriages.

AB check

Written representations had also been received from Phil Atkinson (Head of Operations, York Racecourse) and Mariya Miteva.