Uber has won a court case against the Transport for London’s (TfL) proposed rule requiring drivers of the popular ride-hailing firm to have permanent commercial insurance.
The company took legal action in August 2016 to stop the TfL regulation forcing Uber drivers to have commercial insurance policies all the time even if they are using their cars for private purposes. It also challenged rules requiring taxi firms to operate a customer call centre in London and drivers from non-English countries to pass a written language exam.
Uber London general manager Tom Elvidge told the publication that the company will appeal the “unfair” and “disproportionate” language requirement, which would endanger the jobs of more than 33,000 private hire drivers, according to TfL estimates.
“While we are glad the court agreed with us on the other measures TfL tried to impose, this is a deeply disappointing outcome for tens of thousands of drivers who will lose their livelihoods because they cannot pass an essay writing test,” Elvidge said in a statement, as quoted by The Telegraph.
According to the reports, the court ruled that drivers must do more than converse with passengers to be able to communicate in situations such as a medical emergency. It said that holding English tests for drivers would be in the public interest and is for the “safety, welfare and convenience of passengers.”
“TfL are entitled to require private hire drivers to demonstrate English language compliance,” Judge John Mitting told the Financial Times.
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Uber sues Transport for London over new rules
