Image: Lloyd Mitchell

Uber and Lyft drivers are set to receive “just cause” protections against being suddenly kicked off the apps that employ them, a practice known as “unfair deactivations,” after the City Council voted on Thursday to override ex-Mayor Eric Adams’ 11th-hour veto of legislation to establish those safeguards.

An overwhelming 46 members of the 51-lawmaker body voiced support for resurrecting the bill, Intro. 276 — six more votes than it originally passed by in December. The measure was one of 17 the council voted to reinstate after Adams rejected them on Dec. 31 — in the final hours of his mayoralty.

The bill is intended to establish protections for Uber and Lyft drivers against unfair deactivations, which its proponents describe as their vulnerability to getting kicked off the platforms at any moment, without warning, explanation, or an independent appeals process. They say the practice disproportionately impacts drivers who are immigrants and people of color.

“Today, we will cross the finish line and end the threat of unfair firings in the city,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan (D-Queens), the bill’s prime sponsor, at a City Hall press conference before the vote.

Source AM New York

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Image: BBC

A private hire driver who lives and works in Grantham but is registered in Wolverhampton says plans to reform taxi licensing do not go far enough.

The government has launched a consultation on tackling issues such as "out of area working" – when drivers are licensed by one authority, but work in another – amid concerns about the safety of passengers.

Under the proposals, the number of licensing authorities would be reduced from 263 to 70.

But driver Adam Mason said only a single licensing body would ensure an improvement in standards across the industry. He added: "As soon as you've got 70 new licensing departments, you'll have 70 slightly different interpretations of the regulations."

Mason said he decided to get his licence from City of Wolverhampton Council because the process was quicker and easier, as he needed to start working quickly.

Figures showed that in the year to March 2024, up to 96% of licences issued by Wolverhampton – a total of 20,375 – were for drivers living outside the city.

According to the government's consultation, "out of area" licensing means an authority would not generally be able to take action against a driver "where unsafe activity is identified" unless it had issued the licence.

Under that system if a concern is raised about a driver working in Lincolnshire, but who is registered in Wolverhampton, the Lincolnshire authority has to ask Wolverhampton to consider whether to suspend or revoke the licence.

Source BBC News

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Uber Invests $500Mn in Canada’s Waabi to Accelerate Robotaxi Push

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TfL Wants to Create a Publicly Owned Bus Company for London

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Autonomous Taxis to Roam Budapest Streets This Year

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Minister Proposes Sweeping Changes to Iceland’s Taxi Market

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Gridlock in Greece: Taxi Unions Step Up Protests Against Green Transition

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Image: Daniel Thomas

Halifax Regional Council has rejected a bylaw change that called for more oversight of ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft, choosing instead to take a closer look at the issue.

Under the current rules, there are different oversight requirements for ride-hailing drivers and those who drive regular taxis and limousines. While taxi drivers must submit the results of all background checks to the city, ride-hailing drivers hand the results to the ride-hailing companies.

In December, a staff report to council recommended changing the rules to require ride-hailing drivers to submit their background checks to the city, bringing them in line with the taxi industry.

On Tuesday, councillors voted against the proposal but endorsed a motion from Mayor Andy Fillmore to have a committee prepare a report on how other jurisdictions are handling training, auditing and compliance. The committee would include representatives from ride-hailing companies, the regional government and the taxi industry.

Before the meeting, Uber Canada made it clear the company opposed the proposed changes, saying Halifax already has the authority to request documents to determine whether ride-hailing drivers are complying with applicable laws. The company also argued the proposed rules were overly bureaucratic and would lead to higher fares.

Uber Canada spokesperson Keerthana Rang issued a statement Monday saying the company wants to avoid regulations that could impede access to flexible work for drivers and reliable transportation for riders.

Source: CBC Canada

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