Uber has launched a legal challenge against new rules in London which could require thousands of its drivers to take an English-language test, the company said on Tuesday. 
 
The move comes ahead of measures to be introduced on October 1 by the regional transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), that will tighten regulation of the private hire industry in the British capital. 
 
Uber originally backed the changes but said its opposition arose after more details of the regulations emerged. 
 
&quot;This legal action is very much a last resort,&quot; Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber London said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We&#39;re particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process with Transport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber.&quot; 
 
Despite facing regulatory challenges in numerous countries, Uber has so far expanded to more than 50 countries and is worth an estimated $68 billion. 
 
The company&#39;s application for judicial review in London focuses on four of the new TfL rules.&nbsp; 
 
They include the requirement that all private hire drivers not from majority English-speaking countries must prove their language skills. 
 
While Uber supported an English- speaking and -listening test, it has argued that making drivers provide a certificate showing they have an intermediate level of writing and reading is unnecessary and costly.&nbsp; 
 
Uber has more than 30,000 drivers in London and estimates thousands would be affected by the change. 
 
Under the new rules, private hire companies will be required to run an operating centre within London, which their passengers are able to call during a ride.&nbsp; 
 
Uber`s customer support centre is currently based in Ireland and it is against moving its operations to London. 
 
Other rules opposed by Uber relate to drivers` insurance policies and the requirement that the company inform TfL of any upcoming changes to its app. 
 
TfL confirmed it received a letter from Uber warning it of the legal challenge. 
 
&quot;We responded to Uber`s letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private hire regulations,&quot; a TfL spokesman said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Cab-hailing app contends that providing drivers with certificates proving their proficiency in the language is costly and unnecessary

Uber has launched a legal challenge against new rules in London which could require thousands of its drivers to take an English-language test, the company said on Tuesday. The move comes ahead of measures to be introduced on October 1 by the regional transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), that will tighten regulation of the private hire industry in the British capital. Uber originally backed the changes but said its opposition arose after more details of the regulations emerged. "This legal action is very much a last resort," Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber London said in a statement. "We're particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process with Transport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber." Despite facing regulatory challenges in numerous countries, Uber has so far expanded to more than 50 countries and is worth an estimated $68 billion. The company's application for judicial review in London focuses on four of the new TfL rules. They include the requirement that all private hire drivers not from majority English-speaking countries must prove their language skills. While Uber supported an English- speaking and -listening test, it has argued that making drivers provide a certificate showing they have an intermediate level of writing and reading is unnecessary and costly. Uber has more than 30,000 drivers in London and estimates thousands would be affected by the change. Under the new rules, private hire companies will be required to run an operating centre within London, which their passengers are able to call during a ride. Uber`s customer support centre is currently based in Ireland and it is against moving its operations to London. Other rules opposed by Uber relate to drivers` insurance policies and the requirement that the company inform TfL of any upcoming changes to its app. TfL confirmed it received a letter from Uber warning it of the legal challenge. "We responded to Uber`s letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private hire regulations," a TfL spokesman said in a statement. (AFP)

Uber moves to block London's English test for drivers

Uber has launched a legal challenge against new rules in London which could require thousands of its drivers to take an English-language test, the company said. 
 
The move comes ahead of measures to be introduced on October 1 by the regional transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), that will tighten regulation of the private hire industry in the British capital. 
 
Uber originally backed the changes but said its opposition arose after more details of the regulations emerged. 
 
&quot;This legal action is very much a last resort,&quot; Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber London said in a statement yesterday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process with Transport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber.&quot; 
 
Despite facing regulatory challenges in numerous countries, Uber has so far expanded to more than 50 countries and is worth an estimated USD 68 billion. 
 
The company&#39;s application for judicial review in London focuses on four of the new TfL rules. 
 
They include the requirement that all private hire drivers not from majority English-speaking countries must prove their language skills. 
 
While Uber supported an English- speaking and -listening test, it has argued that making drivers provide a certificate showing they have an intermediate level of writing and reading is unnecessary and costly. 
 
Uber has more than 30,000 drivers in London and estimates thousands would be affected by the change. 
 
Under the new rules private hire companies will be required to run an operating centre within London, which their passengers are able to call during a ride. 
 
Uber&#39;s customer support centre is currently based in Ireland and it is against moving its operations to London. 
 
Other rules opposed by Uber relate to drivers&#39; insurance policies and the requirement that the company inform TfL of any upcoming changes to its app. 
 
TfL confirmed it received a letter from Uber warning it of the legal challenge. 
 
&quot;We responded to Uber&#39;s letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private hire regulations,&quot; a TfL spokesman said in a statement. 
 
(AFP)

Cab-hailing app argues that making drivers provide a certificate showing they have an intermediate level of writing and reading is costly

Uber has launched a legal challenge against new rules in London which could require thousands of its drivers to take an English-language test, the company said. The move comes ahead of measures to be introduced on October 1 by the regional transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), that will tighten regulation of the private hire industry in the British capital. Uber originally backed the changes but said its opposition arose after more details of the regulations emerged. "This legal action is very much a last resort," Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber London said in a statement yesterday. "We're particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process with Transport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber." Despite facing regulatory challenges in numerous countries, Uber has so far expanded to more than 50 countries and is worth an estimated USD 68 billion. The company's application for judicial review in London focuses on four of the new TfL rules. They include the requirement that all private hire drivers not from majority English-speaking countries must prove their language skills. While Uber supported an English- speaking and -listening test, it has argued that making drivers provide a certificate showing they have an intermediate level of writing and reading is unnecessary and costly. Uber has more than 30,000 drivers in London and estimates thousands would be affected by the change. Under the new rules private hire companies will be required to run an operating centre within London, which their passengers are able to call during a ride. Uber's customer support centre is currently based in Ireland and it is against moving its operations to London. Other rules opposed by Uber relate to drivers' insurance policies and the requirement that the company inform TfL of any upcoming changes to its app. TfL confirmed it received a letter from Uber warning it of the legal challenge. "We responded to Uber's letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private hire regulations," a TfL spokesman said in a statement. (AFP)

Uber moves to block London's new English test rule for drivers

Taiwan&#39;s Investment Commission said today it is set to order Uber Technologies Inc to exit the domestic market, saying the global ride-hailing giant misrepresented its business as an internet-based information technology platform, rather than a transportation service. 
 
Emile Chang, executive secretary at Taiwan&#39;s Investment Commission, said a final decision will be made by August 11. The commission oversees Taiwan&#39;s inbound and outbound foreign investments. 
 
The move comes amid a major strategic shift at Uber that will see its operations in China taken over by a mainland firm. Earlier this week, Uber said it was selling its China business to rival Didi Chuxing after a bruising two-year price war in a challenging market. 
 
Taiwan&#39;s decision adds to a string of official complaints aimed at the fast-growing US start-up. It has faced similar legal scrutiny in markets across Asia, including both in Hong Kong and China. 
 
&quot;Taiwan&#39;s government has communicated many times with Uber...The worst scenario is to order (it) to leave the market,&quot; Chang said, adding Uber can appeal the decision to Taiwan&#39;s cabinet. 
 
Uber officials in Taiwan could not be immediately reached for comment. 
 
The company entered the Taiwan market in 2013, triggering anger from domestic taxi drivers, who staged a massive protest against Uber as recently as July. 
 
(Reuters)

Taiwan's decision adds to a string of official complaints aimed at the fast-growing US start-up

Taiwan's Investment Commission said today it is set to order Uber Technologies Inc to exit the domestic market, saying the global ride-hailing giant misrepresented its business as an internet-based information technology platform, rather than a transportation service. Emile Chang, executive secretary at Taiwan's Investment Commission, said a final decision will be made by August 11. The commission oversees Taiwan's inbound and outbound foreign investments. The move comes amid a major strategic shift at Uber that will see its operations in China taken over by a mainland firm. Earlier this week, Uber said it was selling its China business to rival Didi Chuxing after a bruising two-year price war in a challenging market. Taiwan's decision adds to a string of official complaints aimed at the fast-growing US start-up. It has faced similar legal scrutiny in markets across Asia, including both in Hong Kong and China. "Taiwan's government has communicated many times with Uber...The worst scenario is to order (it) to leave the market," Chang said, adding Uber can appeal the decision to Taiwan's cabinet. Uber officials in Taiwan could not be immediately reached for comment. The company entered the Taiwan market in 2013, triggering anger from domestic taxi drivers, who staged a massive protest against Uber as recently as July. (Reuters)

Taiwan set to order Uber's exit from market after accusing it of 'misrepresenting' business

A merger between Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing and the China unit of US rival Uber could face its first hiccup after China&#39;s commerce ministry (Mofcom) said today it had not received a necessary application to allow the deal to go ahead. 
 
However, Didi said there was no need to seek regulatory approval, saying the two ride-hailing companies&#39; lack of profits meant they weren&#39;t required to file with the ministry. 
 
Didi&#39;s acquisition of Uber&#39;s China operations, announced on Monday, will create a roughly $35 billion ride-hailing giant and could raise monopoly concerns as Didi claims an 87 per cent market share in China. Uber China is the second largest player. 
 
Mofcom, one of China&#39;s anti-trust regulators, said at a news briefing that the two firms need to seek approval for the deal to go ahead. It had been unclear previously whether such a filing would be required as both firms are loss-making in China. 
 
&quot;Mofcom has not currently received a merger filing related to the deal between Didi and Uber,&quot; ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said. &quot;All transactors must apply to the ministry in advance. Those that haven&#39;t applied won&#39;t be able to carry out a merger&quot; if they fall under applicable anti-trust and merger rules, he said. 
 
In an emailed statement to Reuters today, Didi contested Shen&#39;s assertion that the firm is required to apply for approval. &quot;We are in close communication with authorities,&quot; said Didi. &quot;Some of the financial metrics of the transaction did not meet the filing requirements. UberChina and Didi are not profitable yet, and UberChina&#39;s turnover in 2015 didn&#39;t meet the $60.30 million trigger requirement for the anti-trust process.&quot; 
 
Didi and Uber have been in a fierce battle in China, spending billions of dollars to subsidise rides and win users. 
 
Other players, however, could step up competition. Jia Yueting, head of LeEco, the parent of smaller ride-hailing rival Yidao, said in a social media post the firm would offer steep rebates to attract passengers to help avoid a monopoly in the market. 
 
&quot;Yidao will soon kick off an even more aggressive cashback campaign,&quot; according to a translation of Jia&#39;s posting provided by a LeEco spokeswoman. 
 
Regulations released last week that take effect on Nove,ber 1 legitimise ride-hailing, but prohibit services from offering rides below cost. 
 
(Reuters)

'The two ride-hailing companies' lack of profits meant they weren't required to file with the ministry,' Didi contested

A merger between Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing and the China unit of US rival Uber could face its first hiccup after China's commerce ministry (Mofcom) said today it had not received a necessary application to allow the deal to go ahead. However, Didi said there was no need to seek regulatory approval, saying the two ride-hailing companies' lack of profits meant they weren't required to file with the ministry. Didi's acquisition of Uber's China operations, announced on Monday, will create a roughly $35 billion ride-hailing giant and could raise monopoly concerns as Didi claims an 87 per cent market share in China. Uber China is the second largest player. Mofcom, one of China's anti-trust regulators, said at a news briefing that the two firms need to seek approval for the deal to go ahead. It had been unclear previously whether such a filing would be required as both firms are loss-making in China. "Mofcom has not currently received a merger filing related to the deal between Didi and Uber," ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said. "All transactors must apply to the ministry in advance. Those that haven't applied won't be able to carry out a merger" if they fall under applicable anti-trust and merger rules, he said. In an emailed statement to Reuters today, Didi contested Shen's assertion that the firm is required to apply for approval. "We are in close communication with authorities," said Didi. "Some of the financial metrics of the transaction did not meet the filing requirements. UberChina and Didi are not profitable yet, and UberChina's turnover in 2015 didn't meet the $60.30 million trigger requirement for the anti-trust process." Didi and Uber have been in a fierce battle in China, spending billions of dollars to subsidise rides and win users. Other players, however, could step up competition. Jia Yueting, head of LeEco, the parent of smaller ride-hailing rival Yidao, said in a social media post the firm would offer steep rebates to attract passengers to help avoid a monopoly in the market. "Yidao will soon kick off an even more aggressive cashback campaign," according to a translation of Jia's posting provided by a LeEco spokeswoman. Regulations released last week that take effect on Nove,ber 1 legitimise ride-hailing, but prohibit services from offering rides below cost. (Reuters)

Didi, Uber merger faces first hiccup: China regulator says deal will require ministry approval

Ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing said on Monday that it will buy Uber&#39;s China operations, in a deal that will give Uber a stake in the company and end bruising competition between the two. 
 
The deal is valued at $35 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter who didn&#39;t want to be named before the deal was made public, combining Didi&#39;s $28 billion worth and Uber China&#39;s $7 billion valuation. Didi confirmed the agreement on its official microblog, but gave no valuation. 
 
San Francisco-based Uber Technologies will receive a 5.89 per cent stake in Didi, but will have disproportionate &quot;economic interests&quot; of 17.7 per cent with another 2.3 per cent interest going to Uber China shareholders. 
 
Uber will continue to operate independently, the Didi posting said. &quot;Cooperating with Uber will give the entire mobile travel industry a healthier order and a period of a higher level of development,&quot; it said. 
 
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick will join Didi&#39;s board, while Didi Chuxing chief Cheng Wei is joining the Uber board. 
 
In an internal message to staff viewed by Reuters, Kalanick wrote: &quot;Sustainably serving China&#39;s cities, and the riders and drivers who live in them, is only possible with profitability. This merger paves the way for our team and Didi&#39;s to partner on an enormous mission, and it frees up substantial resources for bold initiatives focused on the future of cities - from self-driving technology to the future of food and logistics.&quot; 
 
He said Uber was operating in more than 60 cities in China and serving more than 40 million rides a week. 
 
Challenging China 
 
China has been a challenging market for Uber, which has been burning through more than $1 billion a year in a price war with Didi. Uber is profitable in the United States, Canada and about 100 other cities. 
 
&quot;It makes huge sense. Uber faces an uphill task in China especially since Didi is multiple times larger by transaction value and city coverage,&quot; said Hong Kong-based Richard Ji, co-founder of All-Stars Investment Ltd, which manages about $900 million and owns Didi stock. 
 
&quot;This will lead to favourable outcomes for both companies. The biggest benefit is cost savings, they no longer have to give out subsidies to drivers and passengers. It will give pricing power as the new entity will become the dominant player. That means profitability will come sooner than later,&quot; he added. 
 
Under the deal, Didi will also invest $1 billion in Uber, which operates globally outside China, the source said, adding to a series of deals and joint ventures Didi has struck in recent years. 
 
International Ambition 
 
Analysts said Didi&#39;s latest move is a signal of its readiness to step beyond its home market. 
 
&quot;This clearly shows Didi&#39;s global ambitions and its desire to work together with Uber to tap Chinese travelers, who are going out in big numbers. There&#39;s a possibility the two could work together in other markets,&quot; All-Stars Investment&#39;s Ji said. 
 
Didi said in its posting it will look to expand its international business and enter markets like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Europe and Russia. 
 
Didi, itself created last year from a merger of two firms backed respectively by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and social network firm Tencent, has invested $100 million in Lyft, Uber&#39;s main rival in the United States. 
 
It has also formed an alliance with Lyft, India&#39;s ride service Ola and Southeast Asia&#39;s ride-hailing startup Grab in an effort to compete with Uber&#39;s global dominance. 
 
The deal is the latest sign of a global Internet or technology company struggling to break into China&#39;s cut-throat market, where local entrepreneurs have built formidable businesses, partly helped by a supportive government. 
 
All of China&#39;s technology heavyweights will be stakeholders in Didi, as Uber shareholder Baidu will gain a stake. Apple Inc recently made a rare $1 billion investment in Didi. 
 
China last week issued guidelines that establish a long-awaited framework for the booming ride-hailing industry and remove uncertainty for firms such as Didi and Uber. 
 
(Reuters)

China has been a challenging market for Uber, which has been burning through more than $1 billion a year in a price war with Didi

Ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing said on Monday that it will buy Uber's China operations, in a deal that will give Uber a stake in the company and end bruising competition between the two. The deal is valued at $35 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter who didn't want to be named before the deal was made public, combining Didi's $28 billion worth and Uber China's $7 billion valuation. Didi confirmed the agreement on its official microblog, but gave no valuation. San Francisco-based Uber Technologies will receive a 5.89 per cent stake in Didi, but will have disproportionate "economic interests" of 17.7 per cent with another 2.3 per cent interest going to Uber China shareholders. Uber will continue to operate independently, the Didi posting said. "Cooperating with Uber will give the entire mobile travel industry a healthier order and a period of a higher level of development," it said. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick will join Didi's board, while Didi Chuxing chief Cheng Wei is joining the Uber board. In an internal message to staff viewed by Reuters, Kalanick wrote: "Sustainably serving China's cities, and the riders and drivers who live in them, is only possible with profitability. This merger paves the way for our team and Didi's to partner on an enormous mission, and it frees up substantial resources for bold initiatives focused on the future of cities - from self-driving technology to the future of food and logistics." He said Uber was operating in more than 60 cities in China and serving more than 40 million rides a week. Challenging China China has been a challenging market for Uber, which has been burning through more than $1 billion a year in a price war with Didi. Uber is profitable in the United States, Canada and about 100 other cities. "It makes huge sense. Uber faces an uphill task in China especially since Didi is multiple times larger by transaction value and city coverage," said Hong Kong-based Richard Ji, co-founder of All-Stars Investment Ltd, which manages about $900 million and owns Didi stock. "This will lead to favourable outcomes for both companies. The biggest benefit is cost savings, they no longer have to give out subsidies to drivers and passengers. It will give pricing power as the new entity will become the dominant player. That means profitability will come sooner than later," he added. Under the deal, Didi will also invest $1 billion in Uber, which operates globally outside China, the source said, adding to a series of deals and joint ventures Didi has struck in recent years. International Ambition Analysts said Didi's latest move is a signal of its readiness to step beyond its home market. "This clearly shows Didi's global ambitions and its desire to work together with Uber to tap Chinese travelers, who are going out in big numbers. There's a possibility the two could work together in other markets," All-Stars Investment's Ji said. Didi said in its posting it will look to expand its international business and enter markets like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Europe and Russia. Didi, itself created last year from a merger of two firms backed respectively by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and social network firm Tencent, has invested $100 million in Lyft, Uber's main rival in the United States. It has also formed an alliance with Lyft, India's ride service Ola and Southeast Asia's ride-hailing startup Grab in an effort to compete with Uber's global dominance. The deal is the latest sign of a global Internet or technology company struggling to break into China's cut-throat market, where local entrepreneurs have built formidable businesses, partly helped by a supportive government. All of China's technology heavyweights will be stakeholders in Didi, as Uber shareholder Baidu will gain a stake. Apple Inc recently made a rare $1 billion investment in Didi. China last week issued guidelines that establish a long-awaited framework for the booming ride-hailing industry and remove uncertainty for firms such as Didi and Uber. (Reuters)

Didi Chuxing to buy Uber's China business for $35 billion deal

The Philippines has stopped accepting applications for new ride-sharing vehicles of Uber and Grab due to a backlog amid a government review of its policies on fare spikes, a senior official said today. 
 
The Southeast Asian nation was the first country to regulate app-based car-hailing operations after coming out with rules last year. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just the new applications that we have to suspend so we don&#39;t have a huge amount of backlog,&quot; said Cherie Mercado, spokeswoman of the transportation department. 
 
Applications have ballooned to record high, with 29,000 pending, 23,000 of which were for Uber and the rest divided between Grab and u-Hop, she said. 
 
Mercado said the suspension was indefinite and it was not clear what changes would be required to reverse it. 
 
&quot;We will also review the fare scheme, the surge pricing,&quot; she said, referring to the fluctuating fare charges which have caused friction as conventional taxis are not allowed to apply them. 
 
The Philippines is Southeast Asia&#39;s third fastest growing market for automobiles. 
 
The country&#39;s motor vehicle sales jumped 25.4 per cent in January to May, next only to Singapore 76.8 per cent uptick and Vietnam&#39;s 36.6 per cent climb, data from the ASEAN Automotive Federation showed. 
 
Uber said it respected the decision, even though it went against its goal of getting more people into fewer cars, which it said would be a plus for a notoriously gridlocked city like Manila. 
 
&quot;Fewer drivers on Uber leads to lower reliability of service for riders in Metro Manila, who have come to rely on Uber as a viable alternative to buying and driving their own private vehicles,&quot; it said in a statement. 
 
&quot;This decision also comes at a time when we are trying to help improve the traffic situation in Metro Manila by providing an efficient method of carpooling.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Applications have ballooned to record high, with 29,000 pending, 23,000 of which were for Uber and the rest divided between Grab and u-Hop

The Philippines has stopped accepting applications for new ride-sharing vehicles of Uber and Grab due to a backlog amid a government review of its policies on fare spikes, a senior official said today. The Southeast Asian nation was the first country to regulate app-based car-hailing operations after coming out with rules last year. "It's just the new applications that we have to suspend so we don't have a huge amount of backlog," said Cherie Mercado, spokeswoman of the transportation department. Applications have ballooned to record high, with 29,000 pending, 23,000 of which were for Uber and the rest divided between Grab and u-Hop, she said. Mercado said the suspension was indefinite and it was not clear what changes would be required to reverse it. "We will also review the fare scheme, the surge pricing," she said, referring to the fluctuating fare charges which have caused friction as conventional taxis are not allowed to apply them. The Philippines is Southeast Asia's third fastest growing market for automobiles. The country's motor vehicle sales jumped 25.4 per cent in January to May, next only to Singapore 76.8 per cent uptick and Vietnam's 36.6 per cent climb, data from the ASEAN Automotive Federation showed. Uber said it respected the decision, even though it went against its goal of getting more people into fewer cars, which it said would be a plus for a notoriously gridlocked city like Manila. "Fewer drivers on Uber leads to lower reliability of service for riders in Metro Manila, who have come to rely on Uber as a viable alternative to buying and driving their own private vehicles," it said in a statement. "This decision also comes at a time when we are trying to help improve the traffic situation in Metro Manila by providing an efficient method of carpooling." (Reuters)

Philippines suspends new Uber, Grab vehicle registrations as backlog mounts

An Uber driver told a British tribunal today he had earned less than the minimum wage, despite the firm saying he received nearly three times as much, in a case that could threaten the app&#39;s business model. 
 
Lawyers are representing two drivers at an employment tribunal, arguing that Uber is acting unlawfully by not offering rights such as holiday and sick pay. 
 
Uber, which allows users to book and pay for a taxi by smartphone, says its more than 30,000 London drivers enjoy the flexibility of being able to work when they choose and receive on average much more than the minimum wage. 
 
The case could hit Uber&#39;s reliance on using self-employed drivers. 
 
James Farrar, a driver with the firm since December 2014, said that last August he earned less than the 6.70 Pounds ($8.80) an hour for those aged 21 and older which was then the rate for the minimum wage in Britain. 
 
&quot;They claim that, based on the total number of hours logged into the app, I have been paid 13.77 Pounds on an average hourly basis,&quot; he wrote in a witness statement.&nbsp;&quot;I calculated my net earnings for August 2015 after the expenses I set off and they came to 5.03 Pounds an hour.&quot; 
 
Uber&#39;s lawyer David Reade said that Farrar had picked a month in which he had logged onto the app for the longest period of time, but cancelled or not accepted the most amount of jobs, thereby reducing his hourly pay. 
 
Most employees in Britain are entitled to the minimum wage, but the self-employed are among those who do not qualify.&nbsp;The issue of low pay and a lack of job security has sparked a public outcry in Britain in recent years, with firms such as sports retailer Sports Direct facing a backlash over their use of zero-hour contracts. 
 
Last year Uber, whose investors include Goldman Sachs and Alphabet Inc unit Google, said its drivers received average payments of 16 Pounds an hour in October after the firm&#39;s service fee. 
 
The former start-up has grown rapidly, and is valued at $62.5 billion but has faced protests, bans and restrictions in several cities, including in London where traditional black-cab drivers tried to have the app ruled illegal. 
 
The case is due to last until next Tuesday and a decision on whether Uber is acting unlawfully is unlikely to be given by the judge for several weeks. 
 
(Reuters)

Lawyers representing two drivers argued that Uber is acting unlawfully by not offering rights such as holiday and sick pay

An Uber driver told a British tribunal today he had earned less than the minimum wage, despite the firm saying he received nearly three times as much, in a case that could threaten the app's business model. Lawyers are representing two drivers at an employment tribunal, arguing that Uber is acting unlawfully by not offering rights such as holiday and sick pay. Uber, which allows users to book and pay for a taxi by smartphone, says its more than 30,000 London drivers enjoy the flexibility of being able to work when they choose and receive on average much more than the minimum wage. The case could hit Uber's reliance on using self-employed drivers. James Farrar, a driver with the firm since December 2014, said that last August he earned less than the 6.70 Pounds ($8.80) an hour for those aged 21 and older which was then the rate for the minimum wage in Britain. "They claim that, based on the total number of hours logged into the app, I have been paid 13.77 Pounds on an average hourly basis," he wrote in a witness statement. "I calculated my net earnings for August 2015 after the expenses I set off and they came to 5.03 Pounds an hour." Uber's lawyer David Reade said that Farrar had picked a month in which he had logged onto the app for the longest period of time, but cancelled or not accepted the most amount of jobs, thereby reducing his hourly pay. Most employees in Britain are entitled to the minimum wage, but the self-employed are among those who do not qualify. The issue of low pay and a lack of job security has sparked a public outcry in Britain in recent years, with firms such as sports retailer Sports Direct facing a backlash over their use of zero-hour contracts. Last year Uber, whose investors include Goldman Sachs and Alphabet Inc unit Google, said its drivers received average payments of 16 Pounds an hour in October after the firm's service fee. The former start-up has grown rapidly, and is valued at $62.5 billion but has faced protests, bans and restrictions in several cities, including in London where traditional black-cab drivers tried to have the app ruled illegal. The case is due to last until next Tuesday and a decision on whether Uber is acting unlawfully is unlikely to be given by the judge for several weeks. (Reuters)

Uber driver tells UK tribunal he earned less than minimal wage

Two drivers took Uber to a British employment tribunal on Tuesday, arguing that the ride service is acting unlawfully by not offering rights such as holiday and sick pay, in a test case that could force the app to change its business model. 
 
Uber, which allows users to book and pay for a taxi by smartphone, says its more than 30,000 London drivers enjoy the flexibility of being able to work when they choose and receive on average more than the minimum wage. 
 
The firm, whose investors include Goldman Sachs and Alphabet Inc unit Google, has grown rapidly around the world and is valued at $62.5 billion (47 billion pounds), but has faced protests, bans and restrictions in a number of cities. 
 
Last month, Uber agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by drivers over background checks at the Federal Court in San Francisco, where the app is based. 
 
In London, it has fended off attempts by drivers of the city&#39;s famous black cabs to have the app ruled illegal, and transport bosses decided earlier this year not to impose tough new rules on the app. 
 
But a ruling in favour of the two drivers bringing this test case could lead to dozens more coming forward and affect the firm&#39;s reliance on the self-employed. 
 
&quot;This claim is vital for the thousands of Uber drivers who work in England and Wales and has implications even wider than that,&quot; Annie Powell, employment lawyer at firm Leigh Day said. 
 
&quot;We are seeing a creeping erosion of employment rights as companies misclassify their workers as self-employed so as to avoid paying them holiday pay and the national minimum wage,&rdquo; she said. 
 
Drivers are also unhappy at pay being docked for customer complaints but Uber said that is rare for pay to be reduced and would only occur in rare circumstances where the route taken by the driver was deemed to be excessively long, for example. 
 
The tribunal is expected to last until the start of next week but the judge is unlikely to deliver a decision until several weeks later. 
 
(Reuters)

'This claim is vital for the thousands of Uber drivers who work in England and Wales and has implications even wider than that'

Two drivers took Uber to a British employment tribunal on Tuesday, arguing that the ride service is acting unlawfully by not offering rights such as holiday and sick pay, in a test case that could force the app to change its business model. Uber, which allows users to book and pay for a taxi by smartphone, says its more than 30,000 London drivers enjoy the flexibility of being able to work when they choose and receive on average more than the minimum wage. The firm, whose investors include Goldman Sachs and Alphabet Inc unit Google, has grown rapidly around the world and is valued at $62.5 billion (47 billion pounds), but has faced protests, bans and restrictions in a number of cities. Last month, Uber agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by drivers over background checks at the Federal Court in San Francisco, where the app is based. In London, it has fended off attempts by drivers of the city's famous black cabs to have the app ruled illegal, and transport bosses decided earlier this year not to impose tough new rules on the app. But a ruling in favour of the two drivers bringing this test case could lead to dozens more coming forward and affect the firm's reliance on the self-employed. "This claim is vital for the thousands of Uber drivers who work in England and Wales and has implications even wider than that," Annie Powell, employment lawyer at firm Leigh Day said. "We are seeing a creeping erosion of employment rights as companies misclassify their workers as self-employed so as to avoid paying them holiday pay and the national minimum wage,” she said. Drivers are also unhappy at pay being docked for customer complaints but Uber said that is rare for pay to be reduced and would only occur in rare circumstances where the route taken by the driver was deemed to be excessively long, for example. The tribunal is expected to last until the start of next week but the judge is unlikely to deliver a decision until several weeks later. (Reuters)

Drivers take Uber to UK tribunal, argue that the cab service is acting unlawfully

Ride-hailing service Uber will suspend its operations in Hungary due to government legislation that makes it impossible for it to operate, the company said on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;We will be suspending Uber X in Budapest effective on July 24,&quot; Rob Khazzam, general manager for Uber in central Europe, said in an interview. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately, the logic of legislative developments that have unfolded in Hungary over the last 18 months have led us to this difficult decision.&quot; 
 
In June, Hungary&#39;s parliament, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbans right-wing Fidesz party has a strong majority, passed legislation with the aim of curbing the activities of Uber. 
 
The move followed months of protests by taxi drivers and bans on some Uber services in other countries. 
 
The new law, which comes into force this month, will permit the Hungarian national communications authority to block internet access to &quot;illegal dispatcher services&quot;. 
 
Taxi drivers in Hungary have demanded Uber be outlawed and its smartphone app blocked as they say its drivers breach regulations other taxis firms must adhere to. 
 
Uber says more than 160,000 people use its services in Budapest, but now its 1,200 drivers risk losing their driving licences for up to 3 years despite being professionally licensed and tax compliant. 
 
&quot;It is not a ban. Uber has not been banned in Budapest, it is simply a forced suspension, we have been left no other alternative by the authorities in Hungary in response to these developments,&quot; Khazzam said. 
 
Khazzam said Uber hoped to be back in Hungary. 
 
(Reuters)

After protests by taxi drivers, the new law will permit Hungarian authority to block internet access to 'illegal dispatcher service'

Ride-hailing service Uber will suspend its operations in Hungary due to government legislation that makes it impossible for it to operate, the company said on Wednesday. "We will be suspending Uber X in Budapest effective on July 24," Rob Khazzam, general manager for Uber in central Europe, said in an interview. "Unfortunately, the logic of legislative developments that have unfolded in Hungary over the last 18 months have led us to this difficult decision." In June, Hungary's parliament, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbans right-wing Fidesz party has a strong majority, passed legislation with the aim of curbing the activities of Uber. The move followed months of protests by taxi drivers and bans on some Uber services in other countries. The new law, which comes into force this month, will permit the Hungarian national communications authority to block internet access to "illegal dispatcher services". Taxi drivers in Hungary have demanded Uber be outlawed and its smartphone app blocked as they say its drivers breach regulations other taxis firms must adhere to. Uber says more than 160,000 people use its services in Budapest, but now its 1,200 drivers risk losing their driving licences for up to 3 years despite being professionally licensed and tax compliant. "It is not a ban. Uber has not been banned in Budapest, it is simply a forced suspension, we have been left no other alternative by the authorities in Hungary in response to these developments," Khazzam said. Khazzam said Uber hoped to be back in Hungary. (Reuters)

Uber to suspend operations in Hungary due to govt legislation

Human traffickers, who are finding increasingly creative ways to shuttle Central American migrants through Mexico to the US&nbsp;border, have begun to use the Uber ride-sharing service. 
 
On June 10, five vehicles carrying 34 Central American migrants were apprehended while traveling together between the northern Mexican states of Zacatecas and Coahuila, said Segismundo Doguin, a Coahuila state official at the National Migration Institute (INM). 
 
Four of the vehicles were linked to the Uber Technologies Inc platform, Doguin said, but it was unclear whether the human smugglers had hailed the drivers using the Uber app. The drivers said they weren&#39;t the owners of the cars but worked as Uber chauffeurs, he said. 
 
There has been a sharp rise in the number of Central American children and families trying to reach the United States this year, a hot button issue in the US&nbsp;presidential race. Republican candidate Donald Trump has vowed to build a wall along the US-Mexican border to keep them out. 
 
Mexican migration officials attribute the increase to migrants finding new routes past checkpoints, increasingly through varied forms of transport. 
 
&quot;First we saw them on trains, then on buses, then on trucks and today we see them in rented vehicles,&quot; Doguin told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday. 
 
The drivers left the northern Mexican city of Monterrey and picked up the migrants in Matehuala, 323 kilometers (201 miles) further south, Doguin said. The caravan was headed for the city of Reynosa, 551 kilometers (342 miles) north, on the border with Texas. 
 
The migrants told investigators they each paid 3,000 pesos ($162) to make the journey, Doguin said. 
 
Uber Mexico said in a statement it bore no responsibility, but was cooperating with authorities. 
 
&quot;The company does not own the cars registered on the platform, nor does it employ the drivers, who are independent contractors,&quot; Uber said. 
 
Only three of the drivers were registered in the database, Uber said. One of them was dismissed nine months ago for unrelated reasons. The other two were discharged when the INM flagged the situation, the company said. 
 
This is not the first time Uber cars have been used to ferry migrants, Doguin said. 
 
&quot;About two months ago, seven other vehicles were detected in the area of San Luis Potosi state and were also in the Uber system,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

There has been a rise in the number of Central American children and families trying to reach the United States this year

Human traffickers, who are finding increasingly creative ways to shuttle Central American migrants through Mexico to the US border, have begun to use the Uber ride-sharing service. On June 10, five vehicles carrying 34 Central American migrants were apprehended while traveling together between the northern Mexican states of Zacatecas and Coahuila, said Segismundo Doguin, a Coahuila state official at the National Migration Institute (INM). Four of the vehicles were linked to the Uber Technologies Inc platform, Doguin said, but it was unclear whether the human smugglers had hailed the drivers using the Uber app. The drivers said they weren't the owners of the cars but worked as Uber chauffeurs, he said. There has been a sharp rise in the number of Central American children and families trying to reach the United States this year, a hot button issue in the US presidential race. Republican candidate Donald Trump has vowed to build a wall along the US-Mexican border to keep them out. Mexican migration officials attribute the increase to migrants finding new routes past checkpoints, increasingly through varied forms of transport. "First we saw them on trains, then on buses, then on trucks and today we see them in rented vehicles," Doguin told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday. The drivers left the northern Mexican city of Monterrey and picked up the migrants in Matehuala, 323 kilometers (201 miles) further south, Doguin said. The caravan was headed for the city of Reynosa, 551 kilometers (342 miles) north, on the border with Texas. The migrants told investigators they each paid 3,000 pesos ($162) to make the journey, Doguin said. Uber Mexico said in a statement it bore no responsibility, but was cooperating with authorities. "The company does not own the cars registered on the platform, nor does it employ the drivers, who are independent contractors," Uber said. Only three of the drivers were registered in the database, Uber said. One of them was dismissed nine months ago for unrelated reasons. The other two were discharged when the INM flagged the situation, the company said. This is not the first time Uber cars have been used to ferry migrants, Doguin said. "About two months ago, seven other vehicles were detected in the area of San Luis Potosi state and were also in the Uber system," he said. (Reuters)

Human traffickers smuggle migrants to US-Mexico border in Uber share-rides

Ride-hailing company Uber launched its meal delivery service app UberEATS in London today, the second European city where users will be able to order food to their home. 
 
The service, which is currently available in 17 cities around the world including Paris, will compete with rivals such as Deliveroo and Just Eat, which have advertised heavily in the capital in recent months. 
 
Britons will be able to download the app on their iPhone or Android handset from midday today and order meals from restaurants which will be delivered by Uber drivers. 
&nbsp; 
Deliveries will be made to customers in central London from over 150 eateries between 11 am&nbsp;and 11 pm&nbsp;with plans to expand further away from the centre in the coming weeks. 
&nbsp; 
Uber has faced months of protests from drivers of the capital`s long-dominant black cabs but earlier this year transport bosses rejected options which could have imposed strict new restrictions on how it operates.&nbsp; 
(Reuters)

The service that is currently available in 17 cities around the world will compete with Deliveroo and Just Eat

Ride-hailing company Uber launched its meal delivery service app UberEATS in London today, the second European city where users will be able to order food to their home. The service, which is currently available in 17 cities around the world including Paris, will compete with rivals such as Deliveroo and Just Eat, which have advertised heavily in the capital in recent months. Britons will be able to download the app on their iPhone or Android handset from midday today and order meals from restaurants which will be delivered by Uber drivers. Deliveries will be made to customers in central London from over 150 eateries between 11 am and 11 pm with plans to expand further away from the centre in the coming weeks. Uber has faced months of protests from drivers of the capital`s long-dominant black cabs but earlier this year transport bosses rejected options which could have imposed strict new restrictions on how it operates. (Reuters)

Uber launches its meal delivery service app UberEATS in London

Chinese taxi-hailing app&nbsp;Didi Chuxing&nbsp;received an investment of about $600 million from China Life Insurance Co Ltd.

The latest fund-raising comes with China&#39;s top ride-hailing company locked in a struggle to fend off its global rival&#39;s - Uber&nbsp;-&nbsp;march into China. Uber raised $3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia&#39;s sovereign wealth fund in new resources earlier this month.

The investment by China Life - the largest insurer in the Asia-Pacific region by market value - included equity of $300 million and a long-term borrowing commitment of $305 million, the company&#39;s&nbsp;said in a statement.

&quot;The two parties will also collaborate on investment opportunities in mobile transportation and related sectors in China and beyond,&quot; the statement said.

Apple invested $1 billion in May in Didi, a move that Apple chief executive Tim Cook said would help his company better understand the critical Chinese market.

Didi and Uber have spent heavily to subsidise fares to gain market share in China, raising speculation in local media that they might ultimately join forces. Didi itself teamed up with a former local rival last year.

Prior to the China Life investment, the company had raised about $6.3 billion including funding rounds before and after it became a merged company, according to research firm CB Insights.

Didi, which completes more than 11 million rides a day, is&nbsp;working towards initial public offering in the United States that would likely take place in 2018.

Chinese mobile taxi-booking app, Didi Chuxing, raised a $600-million funding which includes equity and long-term borrowings

Chinese taxi-hailing app Didi Chuxing received an investment of about $600 million from China Life Insurance Co Ltd. The latest fund-raising comes with China's top ride-hailing company locked in a struggle to fend off its global rival's - Uber - march into China. Uber raised $3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund in new resources earlier this month. The investment by China Life - the largest insurer in the Asia-Pacific region by market value - included equity of $300 million and a long-term borrowing commitment of $305 million, the company's said in a statement. "The two parties will also collaborate on investment opportunities in mobile transportation and related sectors in China and beyond," the statement said. Apple invested $1 billion in May in Didi, a move that Apple chief executive Tim Cook said would help his company better understand the critical Chinese market. Didi and Uber have spent heavily to subsidise fares to gain market share in China, raising speculation in local media that they might ultimately join forces. Didi itself teamed up with a former local rival last year. Prior to the China Life investment, the company had raised about $6.3 billion including funding rounds before and after it became a merged company, according to research firm CB Insights. Didi, which completes more than 11 million rides a day, is working towards initial public offering in the United States that would likely take place in 2018.

China's Didi Chuxing raises $600 million from China Life Insurance

European Union&nbsp;governments&nbsp;should not ban services like home-rental site&nbsp;Airbnb&nbsp;or ride-hailing app&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;except as a last resort, the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;says in new guidelines, seeking to rein in a crackdown on the &quot;sharing economy&quot;.

In guidelines seen by Reuters, the&nbsp;European Commission said any restrictions by&nbsp;EU&nbsp;member states on these new online services should be justified and proportionate to the public interest at stake.

&quot;Total bans of an activity constitute a measure of last resort that should be applied only if and where no less restrictive requirements to attain a public interest can be used,&quot; the draft document says.

In the case of room-renting sites like&nbsp;Airbnb, the Commission said&nbsp;banning&nbsp;short-term lets of apartments &quot;appears difficult to justify&quot; when limits on the maximum number of days apartments can be rented out would be more appropriate.

The guidelines will come as good news for the likes of&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;and&nbsp;Airbnb, which have faced outright bans or restrictions in some cities as established industry players complain of unfair competition.

Airbnb, founded in 2008, and&nbsp;Uber, launched a year later, both grew up in the hot-house San Francisco tech&nbsp;scene and almost from the start have faced regulatory battles across the United States, and&nbsp;more recently from&nbsp;around the world.

Both have become favourite targets of local officials and rival trade groups in&nbsp;Europe, with its tradition of strong social oversight.

In the &quot;sharing economy,&quot;&nbsp;customers use the internet to contract services such as ride-sharing, where amateur drivers displace professional taxi drivers, or home-sharing, which reduces hotel demand.

&quot;These services can fall within several sectors, falling under the regulatory burden of all of them,&quot; the Commission said.

A case in point is&nbsp;Uber,&nbsp;which considers itself merely a digital service connecting drivers and passengers, not&nbsp;a transport service, which would make it subject to more onerous rules on driver qualifications, road rules and insurance.

The&nbsp;EU&#39;s highest court is set to rule later this year or next on whether&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;is a transport company or a digital service.

 
LOCAL SKIRMISHES

Associations of taxi drivers have staged high-profile protests against&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;in France, Britain, Portugal, Spain and many other&nbsp;European countries since 2014.

Last year, French prosecutors staged a&nbsp;raid of&nbsp;Uber&#39;s Paris offices in a showdown over whether the company was violating a law to curtail online taxi services.

Uber&nbsp;suspended its&nbsp;UberPOP service, which relies on non-professional drivers, in Brussels last October after a court ordered it shut down.

The company reintroduced its service in Madrid in March after beating a hasty retreat from the market in 2014 following a court ruling against it.

Airbnb&nbsp;has faced loud criticism from city officials in Barcelona and Paris over its impact on local housing markets.

On May 1, Berlin officials implemented one of the world&#39;s toughest clampdowns on&nbsp;Airbnb. City officials have promised to reject 95 per cent of requests by landlords to rent out places on a short-term basis.

City officials have received more than 500 legal complaints over the murky provisions of the new law. A Berlin court on June 8 is handling the case of German&nbsp;Airbnb&nbsp;competitor Wimdu, which filed suit over the new regulation.

German hotel association IHA said in response to the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;guidelines: &ldquo;The current legal vacuum...comes at the expense of consumers, residents and taxpayers and distorts the competition to the (disadvantage) of the heavily regulated hotel industry&rdquo;.

European Union says governments should not ban services like home-rental site Airbnb or ride-hailing app Uber except as a last resort

European Union governments should not ban services like home-rental site Airbnb or ride-hailing app Uber except as a last resort, the EU says in new guidelines, seeking to rein in a crackdown on the "sharing economy". In guidelines seen by Reuters, the European Commission said any restrictions by EU member states on these new online services should be justified and proportionate to the public interest at stake. "Total bans of an activity constitute a measure of last resort that should be applied only if and where no less restrictive requirements to attain a public interest can be used," the draft document says. In the case of room-renting sites like Airbnb, the Commission said banning short-term lets of apartments "appears difficult to justify" when limits on the maximum number of days apartments can be rented out would be more appropriate. The guidelines will come as good news for the likes of Uber and Airbnb, which have faced outright bans or restrictions in some cities as established industry players complain of unfair competition. Airbnb, founded in 2008, and Uber, launched a year later, both grew up in the hot-house San Francisco tech scene and almost from the start have faced regulatory battles across the United States, and more recently from around the world. Both have become favourite targets of local officials and rival trade groups in Europe, with its tradition of strong social oversight. In the "sharing economy," customers use the internet to contract services such as ride-sharing, where amateur drivers displace professional taxi drivers, or home-sharing, which reduces hotel demand. "These services can fall within several sectors, falling under the regulatory burden of all of them," the Commission said. A case in point is Uber, which considers itself merely a digital service connecting drivers and passengers, not a transport service, which would make it subject to more onerous rules on driver qualifications, road rules and insurance. The EU's highest court is set to rule later this year or next on whether Uber is a transport company or a digital service. LOCAL SKIRMISHES Associations of taxi drivers have staged high-profile protests against Uber in France, Britain, Portugal, Spain and many other European countries since 2014. Last year, French prosecutors staged a raid of Uber's Paris offices in a showdown over whether the company was violating a law to curtail online taxi services. Uber suspended its UberPOP service, which relies on non-professional drivers, in Brussels last October after a court ordered it shut down. The company reintroduced its service in Madrid in March after beating a hasty retreat from the market in 2014 following a court ruling against it. Airbnb has faced loud criticism from city officials in Barcelona and Paris over its impact on local housing markets. On May 1, Berlin officials implemented one of the world's toughest clampdowns on Airbnb. City officials have promised to reject 95 per cent of requests by landlords to rent out places on a short-term basis. City officials have received more than 500 legal complaints over the murky provisions of the new law. A Berlin court on June 8 is handling the case of German Airbnb competitor Wimdu, which filed suit over the new regulation. German hotel association IHA said in response to the EU guidelines: “The current legal vacuum...comes at the expense of consumers, residents and taxpayers and distorts the competition to the (disadvantage) of the heavily regulated hotel industry”.

EU cautions governments against banning Uber, Airbnb

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