Call for crackdown on Uber drivers at Gatwick

Crawley Borough Council has raised concerns about Uber drivers picking up customers at Gatwick Airport

A council has called on the government to crackdown on Uber drivers picking up passengers from Gatwick Airport over claims they are breaching licensing rules.

Officers at Crawley Borough Council are currently investigating a complaint that local drivers are losing business to Uber.

The council licensing committee are due to write to the Department for Transport (DfT), Transport for London (TfL) and Gatwick Airport about the "touting for business" issue, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

An Uber spokesperson said: “Uber adheres to all applicable regulations and operates according to the high standards set across the industry.”

At a committee meeting on Tuesday, members voted unanimously to take further steps, with chairman Imran Ashraf stating he would share their concerns in letters to the organisations.

He said he would inform the DfT that the current licensing regime makes it difficult to address breaches, and ask for the law to be looked at again.

A council spokesperson said it was "actively investigating" a complaint.

"More recently we have been provided with additional evidence, which means that our investigation has been extended," they added.

The council did not confirm what the apparent licensing breach is.

Uber's website states its drivers must pick up passengers from a dedicated waiting area at Gatwick Airport or receive a fine.

Gatwick taxi drivers had gathered in numbers outside the town hall before the committee meeting.

Don Barnes, Unite branch secretary who works for Airport Cars Gatwick, claimed Uber cars were instead regularly coming and going from the authorised vehicle area, while drivers licensed to work at the airport were "sitting in the crew room for two hours before they get a job".

Mr Ashraf will also ask Gatwick Airport Ltd to engage with licensing officers to ensure only licensed vehicles operate at the airport and also for TfL to carry out enforcement visits frequently.