In a high court challenge, Uber London Ltd lost over the rules of the new dialect requirement planned for private vehicles which are hired. Now, to get a minicab license in London, one will have to take a basic English test which also includes writing a 120-word essay.
The new laws could cause hardship
Against the proposed Transport for London (TfL) deal, which incorporates a prerequisite that drivers take tests in basic English, it is said that this will result in an indirect racial discrimination which could very well affect the livelihood of drivers over 30,000 in number.
"Transport for London's own estimates show that their plans will put more than 33,000 existing private hire drivers out of business," said Tom Elvidge, General Manager of Uber in London
The Guardian reported on the story where Mr Justice Mitting said that TfL was qualified to ask drivers to exhibit consistency with the English dialect and there was no other convenient option.
Prerequisites suppressed
The judge went ahead to suppress different prerequisites identifying with a telephone system to deal with insurance and complain issues. The changes in the system which also include insurance and the arrangement of call centre offices were likewise liable to prompt to extra expenses running into a great many Pounds.
The proposition would disproportionately affect drivers from nations where English is not the first language, since it is hard for them to speak and write in English. TfL, in its defence, said that the prerequisites were imperative to guarantee traveller security and to raise standards. Uber had issued a legal action in August after (TfL) wanted the drivers to speak English, which had a certain standard of writing and reading which Uber thought was too high.
Uber, which is now a major part of the gig economy, has consistently gained popularity as a cab booking service in London as well as the world and it will be interesting to see how the new laws affect its future, including its self-driving projects. Uber's service is the largest taxi company in the world and is available in around 545 cities across the globe.
