Transport for London accused of failing to regulate Uber and Bolt fares and allowing "dangerous" algorithm pricing.

Transport for London (TfL) has been accused by the App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU) of failing to regulate and supervise Uber and Bolt fares and allowing “dangerous” algorithmic pricing.

Members of ADCU staged a protest in London yesterday against TfL and the Mayor of London, who they accused of allowing “abusive algorithms” to determine taxi fares.

ADCU said drivers are ‘furious’ at TfL for giving Uber and Bolt the green light to use fares and pay determined by algorithms from the licensed minicab trade.

Last week Uber introduced this ‘dynamic pricing’ to London, which allows operators to set variable pay and pricing levels based on real time market conditions, personal data and profiling of drivers and passengers.

The union has demanded TfL ban algorithmic pricing by all licensed operators, which they claim involves collusion on pay and price and an invasion of privacy.

They have also demanded that Uber and Bolt raise fares to £2.50 per mile and take no more than 15% commission from drivers.

Further demands include ending unfair dismissals and allowing full right of appeal with union representation.

This month marks the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling against Uber, however ADCU say Uber has still not complied with the rulings which centred around workers’ rights.

The union claims the transport app giant is still not paying drivers for waiting times, despite the court’s ruling drivers should be paid from log on to log off, not from pick up to drop off time.

Abdurzak Hadi, Organiser and Chair of ADCU London, said things have only got worse for drivers over the last two years.

“Drivers are working longer and longer hours to scramble for less work and lower pay.

“London’s hardworking minicab drivers feel, at best they have been let down by Transport for London, Uber and Bolt; at worst, they have been conned.

“But the situation is worse than just regulatory negligence.

“By assisting the platform operators by ramping up licensing while delaying implementation of agreed safety standards, Transport for London is actively compromising the safety of drivers and the travelling public.

“The regulator is contributing to congestion and poor air quality the city and plunging drivers into poverty. Transport for London should be in special measures.”

A TfL spokesperson told TaxiPoint that they, ‘cannot regulate the price of private hire vehicle journeys.’

However, ADCU say TfL are sidestepping the issue, as they never asked TfL to set fares, but to ban algorithmic pricing.

James Farrar, General Secretary of ADCU, accused the London Mayor and TfL of failing in their duty by allowing the algorithms, which he called ‘dangerous and predatory’.

“Passengers and drivers are, directly and indirectly, unfairly targeted for personal auto-exploitation.

“Vulnerable passengers are placed at risk when service is denied or unfairly priced while driver pay is unfairly held down by means of employer tacit collusion and with individuals targeted for black and grey listing.”

The protest was the first coordinated international action of its kind for the gig economy, as the FNV union in the Netherlands also staged a protest yesterday against Uber at their Europe headquarters.

Protesters in London went on to join nurses who were on strike at a picket line outside St Thomas hospital.

ADCU is the UK’s largest trade union for licensed private hire drivers and couriers.

Hannah Davenport is trade union reporter at Left Foot Forward

(Photo credit: ADCU)

Left Foot Forward’s trade union reporting is supported by the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust

Comments are closed.