There were long queues of black cabs around central London on Wednesday
Taxi drivers converged on Westminster in their vehicles on Wednesday afternoon to protest a mobile phone app for booking journeys in London.
Black cab and licensed taxi drivers went on a ‘go-slow’ protest in the centre of the capital to show their opposition to Uber, the new app that allows customers to book and track vehicles.
Unions and groups representing taxi drivers warned that the app is leading to unlicensed drivers being contacted, with no checks on whether they are legitimate.
Protesters in Trafalgar Square chanted “Boris, Boris, Boris, out, out, out”, while taxi drivers beeped their horns as demonstrators held placards.
The RMT union’s Ian Beetlestone said he hoped the demonstration would send a message that Uber is “operating in a grey area”.
He said: “We are not objecting to competition. We have had competition for years from minicabs but we haven’t caused gridlock over it.
“We have to jump through hoops to be regulated and we don’t feel people involved in these new apps are being subjected to the same regulations.”
Launched in 2009 and currently in operation in more than 70 cities across 37 countries, Uber makes cities more accessible for people by “seamlessly connecting riders to drivers”, according to the company website.
London mayor Boris Johnson said he understood the concerns of taxi drivers but added that the issue should be resolved in the courts. A test case will be heard at the High Court in the coming months.
