Scotland’s biggest taxi firm has called on Glasgow City Council to crack down on popular ride-hailing firm Uber in the same way the Government has done so in London.
Speaking on behalf of Glasgow Taxis Ltd executive committee, chairman Stephen Flynn urged bosses to reconsider Uber’s licence, and other third party apps.
He added: “All taxis in Glasgow should operate on the same playing field as public safety and security is of paramount importance.
“All our drivers are PVG checked and have passed knowledge tests and customer care courses set and approved by Glasgow City Council.”
Mr Flynn’s comments come almost a week after after Transport for London (TfL) said it would not be issuing Uber with a new licence citing that the popular service was “not fit and proper” to operate in the capital.
TfL said it took the decision on the grounds of “public safety and security implications.”
Uber, however, which is used by a staggering 3.5 million people and 40,000 drivers in London, hit back by saying it would appeal, claiming the move “would show the world that, far from being open, London is closed to innovative companies.”
Glasgow Taxis is the largest supplier of licenced taxis in the whole of Scotland, and is the largest in the UK outside London.
READ MORE: Direct all anger at Uber, not TfL, says London Mayor
Uber enables users to book cars using their smartphones and is available in more than 40 towns and cities across the UK.
The firm first landed in Glasgow in October 2015 where it was granted a licence for a year. In October last year, its licence was renewed for three more years.
Speaking with The Herald, a council spokesman said “there is nothing for the council to consider.”
He explained how licencing matters are dealt with at an individual local authority level, after which each licencing case is dealt with on the basis of individual merits of all the information presented before the relevant committee.
READ MORE: Shadow chancellor John McDonnell labels Uber ‘a disgrace’
The spokesman added: “We have received no evidence that suggests the operation of Uber’s Booking Office Licence in Glasgow compromises public safety and so, therefore, there is nothing for the council to consider.
“All drivers - both taxi drivers and private hire car drivers - are subject to a criminal record check carried out by Police Scotland and must pass a customer care course.
“Passing the knowledge test is solely a requirement of those seeking a taxi drivers licence.”
READ MORE: Hundreds of thousands sign ‘save Uber’ petition
Uber has already highlighted how TfL’s decision applies solely to London and will not impact any other UK city.
A spokeswoman for Uber told The Herald: “Across the UK, millions of people use our app to get from A to B and thousands of licensed drivers rely on Uber to make a living.
“We plan to appeal the decision in London and can continue operating while we await the outcome of our appeal.
“We are, of course, keen to sit down with TfL to understand what changes they want us to make so we can get things back on track for the millions of Londoners who rely on Uber.”
More than 800,000 people have now signed an online petition launched by Uber urging TfL to reverse its decision, which will then be delivered to Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Making reference to its current situation in London, two days ago, the boss of Uber apologised for “the mistakes we’ve made.”
Chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi accepted the company had “got things wrong.”
He said: “We won’t be perfect, but we will listen to you, we will look to be long-term partners with the cities we serve, and we will run our business with humility, integrity, and passion.”
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