The relevant allegations appear to be that Uber are not vetting its drivers well enough, or reacting well enough to reported incidents. If Swiss Cottage Cars has 100 drivers, it is easy for management to get to know them and hopefully weed out bad apples. It is probably impossible for Uber to get to know the 30,000 drivers.
It is very difficult to predict that someone with a clean record will commit a crime. It is somewhat easier to predict that someone with a long criminal record may commit future crimes. So the key things are to vet new drivers, and then, when someone with a clean record is accused of something, to react in a way that is fair to both accused and accuser.
It seems Uber are not doing this.
Having said that, I do wonder if Swiss Cottage Cabs or the black cabs are being treated to a different standard over this.
To become an Uber driver, just as to become a Swiss Cottage driver, you need:
- commercial vehicle insurance - a private hire license - a car
There is no difference. (And to get a private hire license you need to go to TfL who performs the criminal record check.)
Now; do some people get a private hire license, and then find themselves convicted of an offence and then forget to tell Uber (or Swiss Cottage Cars)?
Yes. Does it happen with any greater regularity with Uber than with other mini cab firms that get their licenses renews by TfL? I doubt it very much.
Fair enough. I wonder if TfL have any relevant data?
(To reiterate: I dislike Uber as a company, but think TfL have made a mistake in this).
May has delivered this speech poorly and has not said much beyond signalling a few necessary concessions, but I can't help feeling that the spirit is the one that should have been employed from the start.
When it might have meant something and influenced subsequent events.
Totally agree. Instead, the mood music was totally hostile and damaging to our interests.
Can someone explain this to me ? The transition will last until the end of March 2021. One year before the next GE. Because one year before a GE and 4 years into a minority government we'll be in a *much* stronger position to get a great final deal. *Snorts*
No, I don't think either side would accept going into a transition without agreeing the outline of the final deal.
Maybe you are using an American kettle - they are underpowered. We covered that this morning here on PB...
Back with me cuppa. 2300W kettle. John Lewis.
Ooh - neutral court suggestion. I said that too...
Just checked our trendy Bodum kettle - only 1500W but it is very fast... maybe because it's not that big but it's a jug within a jug, so effectively double-glazed.
There's posh a double glazed kettle!
Yes - but surprisingly functional as well as meeting Mrs. Pointer's aesthetic criteria.
Mrs Owl's aesthetic criteria are by far the driver of purchase choice rather than wattage greeness or even glazing!
Mr. Eagles, ah well. Still green. Good spot me, but also thanks to whoever posted the picture of the early draft (I did bet before seeing it, but increased my stake after that).
Mr. Observer, if that's the mood, it increases the chance of Boris walking to try and mount a leadership challenge.
Can someone explain this to me ? The transition will last until the end of March 2021. One year before the next GE. Because one year before a GE and 4 years into a minority government we'll be in a *much* stronger position to get a great final deal. *Snorts*
No, I don't think either side would accept going into a transition without agreeing the outline of the final deal.
OK. So we're no further forward then. We've 18 months to secure a final deal albeit one which won't kick in until April 2021. Hmm.
Well that's clear. We are DEFINITELY leaving the EU on 29 March 2019.
What that means is that we will have no MEPs and no place on the Council of Ministers. We will have delivered our promise to the Leavers that are we leaving.
However we will still be in the single market and customs union, still freedom of movement, still the same contributions, still under the ECJ - but we will have DEFINITELY left.
Maybe you are using an American kettle - they are underpowered. We covered that this morning here on PB...
Back with me cuppa. 2300W kettle. John Lewis.
Ooh - neutral court suggestion. I said that too...
Just checked our trendy Bodum kettle - only 1500W but it is very fast... maybe because it's not that big but it's a jug within a jug, so effectively double-glazed.
There's posh a double glazed kettle!
Yes - but surprisingly functional as well as meeting Mrs. Pointer's aesthetic criteria.
Mrs Owl's aesthetic criteria are by far the driver of purchase choice rather than wattage greeness or even glazing!
Did she forget to read out the bit where she was supposed to tell us what the final deal, as opposed to the transitional arrangement, might look like?
What final deal? Transition forever!!
She said that there would have to be a guarantee that the transition will be time limited, according to the Guardian live blog.
Yes, but although she said that she thought it would be two years, she said that she didn't know how long it would be.
So at what point does a finite time period become an infinite time period?
At no point. If I understand correctly, the proposal is a fixed transition (sorry 'implementation') period, the length of which would be agreed in advance.
Well that's clear. We are DEFINITELY leaving the EU on 29 March 2019.
What that means is that we will have no MEPs and no place on the Council of Ministers. We will have delivered our promise to the Leavers that are we leaving.
However we will still be in the single market and customs union, still freedom of movement, still the same contributions, still under the ECJ - but we will have DEFINITELY left.
Can someone explain this to me ? The transition will last until the end of March 2021. One year before the next GE. Because one year before a GE and 4 years into a minority government we'll be in a *much* stronger position to get a great final deal. *Snorts*
No, I don't think either side would accept going into a transition without agreeing the outline of the final deal.
OK. So we're no further forward then. We've 18 months to secure a final deal albeit one which won't kick in until April 2021. Hmm.
In effect, that is no bad thing because it gives HMRC and UK Border etc. and EU customs two years to get processes in place.
It does not change the fact that can anything be agreed by 29 March 2019 ? It seems that deadline has not changed.
If these questions are anything to go by May is in serious danger of losing the right wing press.
From WhatsApping my fellow Leavers, no-one feels betrayed about 2 years of effective non-voting membership.
The Cabinet is united. We are leaving. Alleluia!
Yes. I get that. However long it takes, whatever the ins and outs and negotiations all is good in Leaverstan.
Except. The general election. Lab will be aware that a commitment to do something anti-Leaver-ish (say EEA/EFTA/etc) might just get them back into power and then where's your leaving?
Uber is the big story. Nearly 100,000 have now signed the Petition, in just a couple of hours. This is an enormous own goal by Khan. What was he thinking??
There seems to be some debate as to whether he had an input. This was a TFL decision.
And the people who will be most annoyed will be women, especially young women. They LOVE Uber. It's cheap and makes them feel safe - much safer than normal cabs.
Sadiq Khan could lose squillions of voters here. Good.
And how many of those ladies realise that Uber have been failing to adequately carry out CRB checks and vetting & barring regulations? Regulations that exist to stop young ladies having a very bad end to their night out.
Does Uber have any worse record than, say, Swiss Cottage Cars? I suspect not. But Swiss Cottage Cars probably has 100 drivers on its radio circuit, and Uber has 30,000. In any selection of 30,000 men aged 18 to 50, you will have bad apples. Small sample sizes mean you'd perhaps hear of one story in five years about something bad happening at Swiss Cottage Cars, against 100 a year at Uber.
It doesn't mean Uber does a worse job vetting its drivers, or that it's more dangerous to ride in an Uber. It means that is simply a larger number of cars and drivers.
Surely it is reasonable for Swiss Cottage Cars to expect all its competitors, including Uber, to be held to comply with local regulations to the same extent it is?
That's my point. Local mini cab firms have these problems all the time. But because it's one driver out of 100, TfL renews their license without problem. (Rather than 100 out of 30,000.)
The requirements to be a mini cab driver and an Uber driver are identical. Uber is a mini cab firm.
But because of its success, and the fact that it is hammering black cabs, it is being targeted.
Swiss Cottage Cars obviously has all the CRB checks for its drivers in place. They also want there to be a level playing field with their competition, all meeting the same high standards that the public expects of minicabs drivers.
One company hasn’t met the standards, so they can reapply for their licence when they’ve proved they do comply.
I think it's worth noting as well that as a private company uber can be selective about what it releases. It's not unreasonable to assume we are getting a very positive spin - and even then as the series makes clear - the numbers aren't good.
While I can't beach an NDA, the underlying operating metrics for Uber in mature markets are very good. Investors aren't all idiots.
Uber is the big story. Nearly 100,000 have now signed the Petition, in just a couple of hours. This is an enormous own goal by Khan. What was he thinking??
There seems to be some debate as to whether he had an input. This was a TFL decision.
He supports it and pushed for it, and is the chairman of TfL. He owns this decision.
Comments
(To reiterate: I dislike Uber as a company, but think TfL have made a mistake in this).
She says people voted to leave the EU. She has set out how an implementation period would operate.
During that period, EU people coming to work in the UK would have to register.
-Guardian
First sign of trouble. After March 2019, May wants unfettered access to the Single Market but there will be no freedom of movement ! Cake and eat it!
Mr. Observer, if that's the mood, it increases the chance of Boris walking to try and mount a leadership challenge.
So at what point does a finite time period become an infinite time period?
What the actual f&ck?!
I need to go and have a lie-down.
What that means is that we will have no MEPs and no place on the Council of Ministers. We will have delivered our promise to the Leavers that are we leaving.
However we will still be in the single market and customs union, still freedom of movement, still the same contributions, still under the ECJ - but we will have DEFINITELY left.
So that's OK then.
The Cabinet is united. We are leaving. Alleluia!
God knows what you'd call the Khmer Rouge.
NEW THREAD
How deliciously ironic given the day ...
It does not change the fact that can anything be agreed by 29 March 2019 ? It seems that deadline has not changed.
So after 15 months not doing our homework, we beg for an extension. I thought it was Cameron who was the essay crisis PM...
Except. The general election. Lab will be aware that a commitment to do something anti-Leaver-ish (say EEA/EFTA/etc) might just get them back into power and then where's your leaving?
Although one crisis too many for our Dave.
One company hasn’t met the standards, so they can reapply for their licence when they’ve proved they do comply.