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London is considering tough new restrictions designed to hurt Uber

Sep 29, 2015, 20:20 IST

Uber CEO Travis KalanickFlickr via Heisenberg Media

Transport for London (TfL) is expected to announce a series of proposed measures which could cause a huge problem for Uber and other ride-sharing apps.

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The proposals - which are clearly biased in favour of traditional black cabs and established taxi fleets like Addison Lee - were leaked to Business Insider today.

TfL is the government organisation which regulates things like taxis and the London Underground. It is planning to launch a public consultation on the proposed rules for "private hire vehicles," which control ride-sharing companies like Uber, Gett, and Hailo.

The proposals include:

  • The introduction of a mandatory five-minute wait time before a passenger can be picked up. (France used to have a similar rule where Uber drivers had to wait 15 minutes before picking up passengers, but it was later ruled unconstitutional.)
  • A ban on showing animated cars on a map, of the sort seen in Uber's app.
  • Changes to the way some ride-sharing apps charge users. One proposal is to show a mandatory fare estimate before each ride. Right now, that's optional on Uber.
  • TfL could also become a sort of ombudsman for the ride-sharing industry. It is proposing a system where companies give reports to TfL about any complaints that happen as a result of customers using its service. Companies would also have to detail how they dealt with any issues. TfL would serve as an independent body, ruling on whether a company's response to a complaint was fair or not.
  • Drivers could also be forced to change how many companies they work for. Theoretically, drivers can drive for as many services as they like (assuming their vehicle is allowed). But one TfL proposal would introduce a new cap, meaning that drivers would have to pick one ride-sharing company and stick to it.

It's important to note that none of these rules have actually been enforced yet, but they will be opened up to a public consultation on whether London residents back the ideas.

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Other proposals being considered by TfL include requiring drivers to pass a test and speak English, giving customers the right to book rides up to seven days in advance, making a telephone number for bookings available at all times, controls on sharing rides (which could hurt Uber's plan to launch its UberPool ridesharing service in the UK), and setting a final destination when the ride is booked. Right now, a lot of customers wait until they're in the car to set the destination. That last proposal would stop that, and would also stop customers from being able to edit the destination midway through the journey.

Here's the key section of the document which sets out the proposals:

Business Insider

Business Insider

Business Insider has contacted Transport for London for comment on this article and will update when we hear back.

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