Black cabs blame Uber for rise in attacks on London’s taxi drivers

Scotland Yard figures reveal scale of violence on capital's roads and prompt fresh spat between rivals

A surge has been recorded in violent crimes against London taxi drivers, prompting a fresh spat between Uber and black cabs over who is to blame.

New figures from Scotland Yard reveal that violent offences against taxi drivers have risen by more than two-thirds, from 856 in 2014 to 1,403 last year. Black-cab drivers have blamed Uber for the increase, alleging that "poor English" and the inadequate street knowledge of drivers working for the taxi-hailing app company have generated so much frustration among passengers that it has led to violence.