Major change to taxi and private hire vehicle accessibility legislation comes into force – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 – described as “the most significant change to taxi accessibility legislation since the Equality Act was introduced 12 years ago” – has come into force.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th July 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘Serious failings’ left children exposed to abuse in Oldham, finds damning review – The Guardian

Posted June 21st, 2022 in child abuse, local government, news, police, rape, reports, taxis by sally

‘Vulnerable children were left exposed to sexual exploitation in Oldham because of “serious failings” by the police and council, a damning independent review has found.’

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The Guardian, June 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Man jailed after kidnapping woman by posing as London taxi driver – The Independent

‘A man who posed as a taxi driver before a kidnapping a young woman in central London and attempting to sexually assault her has been jailed.’

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The Independent, 30th November 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Taxi licensing and the fit and proper person test – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 30th, 2021 in child abduction, licensing, local government, news, taxis by tracey

‘Sefton Council has overturned a Magistrates Court’s decision to grant a taxi licence to an ex-policeman convicted of child abduction. Gary Grant explains how.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th November 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Uber Faces Legal Action Over ‘Racist’ Facial Recognition Software – Each Other

‘Uber is facing legal action following revelations that its facial recognition algorithm is five times more likely to cause the termination of darker-skinned workers.’

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Each Other, 11th October 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Uber facing new UK driver claims of racial discrimination – The Guardian

‘Uber is facing further claims for compensation over racial discrimination from drivers who say they had been falsely dismissed because of malfunctioning face recognition technology.’

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The Guardian, 6th October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judges can rely on solicitors’ emails to assess credit hire losses – Legal Futures

Posted September 30th, 2021 in accidents, electronic mail, insurance, news, road traffic, taxis, witnesses by sally

‘Taxi drivers forced to hire new cars after road traffic accidents do not need to set out their credit charges in witness statements as emails from their solicitors will suffice, a judge has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 30th September 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Why Is Disability Hate Crime So Hard To Prove? – Each Other

‘Under UK law, something is deemed a hate incident if the victim or anyone else thinks it was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on disability, race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation. It then becomes a hate crime if it crosses the boundary of criminality.’

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Each Other, 3rd August 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Renewal of taxi drivers’ licences – Local Government Lawyer

‘Gerald Gouriet QC looks at the issues that arise with the late renewal of taxi drivers’ licences.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th June 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Employment status following the Uber Supreme Court case – Mills & Reeve

Establishing an individual’s employment rights can feel like a minefield, with varying degrees of obligations on the employer depending on the employment status. Earlier this year the Supreme Court upheld earlier decisions in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and Court of Appeal that Uber drivers are “workers” of Uber for the purposes of employment rights, and not, as Uber argued, self-employed contractors each operating their own minicab business.

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Mills & Reeve, 14th June 2021

Source: www.mills-reeve.com

Uber recognises union for first time in landmark deal – BBC News

Posted May 27th, 2021 in holiday pay, news, pensions, remuneration, taxis, trade unions by tracey

‘Ride-hailing giant Uber has agreed to recognise a trade union for the first time, in a landmark deal that should benefit gig economy workers.’

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BBC News, 26th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Street Space and Taxis During the COVID-19 Pandemic – City Law Forum

Posted April 15th, 2021 in coronavirus, London, news, road traffic, taxis by sally

‘The taxi or black cab has from time immemorial been part of the London transport scene. They are permitted to use all available road space, including bus lanes. The current pandemic has motivated the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) to create a policy resulting in traffic plan and traffic orders limiting the amount of road space available for vehicles. The result of these orders has been to restrict taxis from using road space (including bus lanes) in two areas of central London that were previously available to them.’

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City Law Forum, 14th April 2021

Source: blogs.city.ac.uk

R.I.P Gig Economy? – 4 King’s Bench Walk

‘On February 19th, the Supreme Court dismissed Uber’s appeal upholding the decision of the Employment Tribunal: a ruling upheld both by the EAT and the Court of Appeal. Lord Leggatt’s judgment confirmed that the claimant Uber drivers were workers for the purposes of the Working Time Regulations, national minimum wage legislation, and the Employment Rights Act 1996. In a unanimous judgment, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the Employment Tribunal to determine the claims on their merits.’

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4 King's Bench Walk, 4th March 2021

Source: www.4kbw.co.uk

Ep 139: Courts tussle with Uber, Ola and the Gig Economy – Law Pod UK

Posted April 8th, 2021 in holiday pay, minimum wage, news, podcasts, self-employment, taxis by sally

‘Alasdair Henderson of 1 Crown Office Row joins Rosalind English to discuss the recent ruling by the UK Supreme Court that drivers whose work is arranged through Uber’s smartphone app work for Uber under workers’ contracts and so qualify for the protections afforded by employment law, such as minimum wage and paid holiday leave.’

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Law Pod UK, 7th April 2021

Source: audioboom.com

Mencap and Uber in the Supreme Court: Working Time Regulation in an Era of Casualisation – Oxford Human Rights Hub

Posted April 6th, 2021 in care workers, casual workers, news, Supreme Court, taxis, working time by sally

‘In recent weeks, two long-awaited UK Supreme Court judgments have offered strikingly divergent reflections on the meaning and parameters of working time.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 1st April 2021

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

After Uber: Purposive Interpretation and the Future of Contract – by Joe Atkinson and Hitesh Dhorajiwala – UK Labour Law

Posted April 1st, 2021 in contract of employment, employment, interpretation, news, Supreme Court, taxis by tracey

‘The Uber BV v Aslam [2021] UKSC 5 (“Uber (SC)”) judgment from the Supreme Court represents the final chapter in the long-running saga of determining the employment status of drivers who provided trips to passengers via the Uber app. As highlighted by Valerio De Stefano, the finding that the drivers must be classed as workers is part of a wider trend of decisions rejecting arguments that platform workers fall outside the regulatory scope of employment law. This blog considers key aspects of the Supreme Court’s reasoning, relating to the “purposive approach” and the role of contractual documentation in determining employment status, as well as some of the practical consequences of the judgment for workers.’

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UK Labour Law, 1st April 2021

Source: uklabourlawblog.com

‘A lot are sceptical’: Uber drivers’ cautious welcome over worker status – The Guardian

‘On Wednesday Uber, the taxi hailing app, began offering 70,000 UK drivers a minimum hourly wage, holiday pay and pensions after years of legal battles.’

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The Guardian, 18th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Courts close in on gig economy firms globally as workers seek rights – The Guardian

‘Gig economy companies, including Uber and Deliveroo, have faced at least 40 major legal challenges around the world as delivery drivers and riders try to improve their rights.’

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The Guardian, 17th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

For Whom the Bell Tolls: “Contract” in the Gig Economy – Oxford Human Rights Hub

‘Are Uber drivers ‘limb (b) workers’ and so entitled to fundamental statutory rights such as the minimum wage and working time protections? In a decision of fundamental significance, six Justices of the United Kingdom Supreme Court (UKSC) upheld the original Employment Tribunal (ET) decision that the drivers were ‘limb (b) workers. In reaching this conclusion, the UKSC endorsed the ‘purposive’ approach that had been set down in the earlier case of Autoclenz v Belcher by Lord Clarke.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 7th March 2021

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

“You have reached your destination…”; Uber v. Aslam – Parklane Plowden Chambers

‘On 19 February 2021 the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the long running dispute between Uber and its drivers.’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 26th February 2021

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk