Majority of London taxi trade REJECTS Uber's 'Black Cab' offering

The majority of London's taxi trade has made it clear they have no intention of joining forces with Uber, following the ride-hailing giant's plan to launch a new London 'Black Cab' service in 2024.

Last week, Uber announced that it would be introducing black cabs to its fleet, allowing drivers to sign up starting immediately. However, taxi drivers have expressed their strong opposition to the move, citing Uber's detrimental impact on their profession over the years.

In response to TaxiPoint's engagement with readers on the subject, London Taxi PR stated: "Make no mistake, this is about them swallowing you up so you become one of them. It's not about being on a platform or an app. And, after all they've done to the profession over the years, why on earth would you? For what? Would you sell your soul for a few pieces of silver?"

Terry Gee, a taxi driver, expressed his opinion by saying: "Any London BC driver who has one ounce of integrity or dignity would not want to assist or have any association with this organisation."

Garry, another taxi driver, acknowledged that while the lure of commission-free work could attract some newer drivers, he personally had no interest. He also highlighted how Uber's entry into the London taxi market with predatory pricing is still remembered by many veteran drivers.

A taxi driver, who chose to remain anonymous, voiced concerns about Uber's goal of market domination. They stated: "If they manage to get BCs (black cabs) on the app, they will then want to start to control fares and income. I will not be joining Uber or any other app. I've been doing street work only for 10 years; it's such an important part of being a BC driver."

Paul Bond urged drivers to prioritise street hails and maintain the Knowledge of London, in addition to preserving the turning circle and the Condition of Fitness.

Another driver emphasised: "I didn't spend 4 years on the Knowledge and pay over £70,000 for a vehicle to work with a company that has done everything to try and destroy our trade. I'd rather be on the dole than work with them."

While most cabbies expressed their resolute opposition to joining Uber, one driver had a slightly different stance. They pointed out that almost every tourist and business person visiting London already has the Uber app on their phone. This driver suggested negotiating a reasonable, fixed rate commission with Uber, regardless of their previous actions, as Uber is unlikely to disappear any time soon.

It is evident, and you could say understandable, that the vast majority of London's taxi trade remains deeply disillusioned with Uber and are unwilling to collaborate with their new 'Black Cab' offering. The overall sentiment among drivers suggests a strong determination to protect the integrity of the profession.

More responses can be found on Perry Richardson‘s call for driver opinion found on X, formerly known as Twitter.

What do the taxi driver representative groups think?

Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA), said: “There is no demand for this partnership from the London licensed taxi drivers we represent or our passengers. Neither the LTDA nor any other taxi trade groups were consulted in advance of this unilateral announcement. We are not aware of any drivers having been recruited and don’t believe our members will even consider joining the app, given its well-documented, poor record on everything from passenger safety to workers’ rights in London.

“Our passengers can already access our world-class service through a range of apps like Gett, TaxiApp, FREENOW and ComCab, which share our values and pride themselves on providing a high-quality, safe and reliable form of accessible public transport.

“We have no interest in sullying the name of London’s iconic, world-renowned black cab trade by aligning it with Uber, its poor safety record and everything else that comes with it.”

A spokesperson for the London Cab Drivers Club (LCDC) said in a public statement: “We remind drivers; This company (or group of companies), has twice been refused a Private Hire Operator licence by the regulator Transport for London.

“A company that failed to inform the Metropolitan Police Service of serious crime. A company that used software to avoid regulatory and law enforcement. A company that fought tooth and nail, exhausted every legal avenue in a futile attempt to deny worker rights.

"A company forced to settle a multi-million pound HMRC claim. A company currently in dispute with HMRC due to the use of Tour Operators Margin Scheme tax loophole. The committee believe, this is a company the London taxi trade should not be associated with.”

What do other London taxi and private hire operators think?

Matteo de Renzi, Gett CEO: “Gett launched as a black cab app in London in 2011 and we’ve always focused on the regulated taxi market, positioning the taxi trade as the most convenient and reliable option in town.

“Black cabs are iconic for a reason - it’s a trade that boasts centuries of legacy and an extremely high entry threshold. Pretty much every player attempting an entry struggled so far. We've always put a positive relationship with the trade first: it’s about respect and fairness, the personal touch. We are not here to disrupt, we never added a single car to London’s roads to worsen the congestion! We are here to improve - to give the drivers, who earned their badge with years of hard work, more options to monetise their time behind the wheel and to give the passengers more options when they need to get somewhere quickly and safely."

Liam Griffin, Addison Lee CEO, said: “For nearly 50 years, Addison Lee has been providing London with quality, professional, safe transport. Following the acquisition of ComCab in 2021, we added iconic black taxis onto our platform, and today we offer customers a full range of quality options as the capital’s largest and most trusted private hire, taxi and same day courier business. Drivers are – and have always been – at the heart of our business, and we recognise their value by paying the best rates and providing the best working practices in the industry.

“On the other hand, since its arrival in London in 2012, Uber’s operating practices and predatory pricing model have threatened the livelihoods of hard-working local black taxi and private hire drivers in the capital. Its poor record on safety and driver support has undermined the reputation of the industry and created a race to the bottom that has damaged us all.

“London’s black taxi drivers have always been vocal in their opposition to Uber – and for good reason. The tech firm has time and time again proved itself to be the enemy of healthy competition and fair prices in the sector. Uber will have its work cut out to win over black taxi drivers who are rightly extremely sceptical of the motives behind today’s move.”