The High Court in London has ruled that the smartphone app used by Uber drivers to calculate fares does not break the law, the Independent has reported.
Judges had to decide whether the way that Uber calculate fares is the same as a meter, which would have been against the law. This is because it is only black cabs which are allowed to have meters, which are regulated by Transport for London (TfL).
The High Court decided on Friday, October 16, that the app is not ‘meter-like.’ Uber uses GPS to find the nearest driver after a customer sends a request and then calculates the distance that must be travelled to work out how much the customer should be charged. A number of other factors, such as surcharges and local demand, can affect the final amount.
In his written judgement on the case, Mr Justice Ouseley said that while the smarphone, with the driver’s app, was essential in the calculation of fares, it was not a device ‘for’ calculating fares in breach of the meter rules. He noted that the drivers, not their cars, are equipped with the phones, which is different to the meters which are attached to black cabs.
The London Taxi Drivers Association reacted angrily on Twitter following the announcement.
The @TheLTDA account posted: “Unbelievable! High Court says it’s not a meter! LTDA have lodged appeal to Supreme Court.
“The law really is an Ass! It uses time and distance to calculate fare and it’s not a meter?”
Leon Daniels, TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: “We are gauging public opinion on a range of potential changes to private hire regulations, including stricter rules on insurance and English language skills.” The public has been invited to respond to the consultation by December 23.
However, Digital Spy reported that Uber is still involved in a separate dispute with TfL, which is planning to introduce new measures that could spell the end of Uber services in London in their current form.
The proposals would allegedly include banning operators from showing available cars for hire on smartphone maps, while a minimum five-minute wait time between ordering a private hire vehicle and its arrival could also be introduced.
Uber has started up an online petition against the measures, which it claims ‘make no sense.’
