No landline number a barrier to Uber expansion

The taxi firm is in talks with North Lincolnshire Council

Not having a landline number has presented a barrier to Uber expanding its services to an area with "unmet demand".

The taxi firm hopes to move into North Lincolnshire, but the council requires operators to have a landline number to be licensed there.

North Lincolnshire Council confirmed at a recent scrutiny panel meeting that it was in talks with Uber over how to bring the business to the borough.

During the meeting, Richard Cropley, head of trading standards at the council, said: "I think it's better to have them onside to reassure they're licensed with us under our regime."

Mr Cropley said the licensing landline requirement was something the council would look to update in the future, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He added: "They're looking to do it properly, they're looking to licence their vehicles with us, under our scheme."

Under the council's taxi licensing policy, private operators are required to "ensure the telephone number for the private hire office has a landline number for bookings to be made."

The policy also states that door panels of taxis should only display the company name and telephone number, and that the number should be a landline rather than a mobile number.

An Uber spokesperson said: "There are specific local restrictions around the need for a landline phone and we're keen to continue our discussions with the council, as we believe there is an opportunity to launch our app-based service in the area."

Being licensed in a particular authority means a taxi or private hire driver and the operator must be licensed in the same area.

The vehicle must also be tested in the local authority area.

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