Uber’s data sharing with UK police worries driver unions
Legal battles
Uber’s battle to operate in London has a long history. It lost its license in 2017 after TfL raised a number safety concerns, including how the company reports crimes, and obtains medical certificates and performs background checks on its drivers.
In 2019, it refused to grant Uber a new license, saying that it had continued with a “pattern of failures” over the safety and security of how its platform operates.
Despite having no official license, the firm has been allowed to carry on as normal while the litigation process continues.
Last week’s court hearing heard how “mistakes were made” by Uber over a software glitch that allowed more than 14,000 trips to be carried out by drivers who faked their identity on the app, meaning those journeys were uninsured and, in some cases, trips were with unlicensed drivers.
Gerald Gouriet, a lawyer representing theLondon Taxi Drivers’ Associationtold the court that Uber had covered up the issue, a claim refuted by Uber’s legal counsel, who said only 24 drivers exploited the glitch and that the problem was “not endemic or widespread” and has now been resolved.
While the court decided Uber could operate in London, the rideshare company faces challenges on other fronts.
In California, the firm is stillfighting AB5, the legislation brought into effect in January that requires gig-workers to be recognized as employees and paid appropriate benefits.
Data has also been a sticking point in Uber’s dispute with the Los Angeles Transportation Department over themobility data specification,which requires e-scooter operators to provide real-time data to the city.
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Story byCities Today
Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.
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