Uber hits minicab firms – but helps disabled people | Letters
My company, Embassy Direct, which is based in Hanwell, west London, has been trading for 50 years in the private hire transport sector. It has been said that banning Uber (Report, 30 September) would put "40,000 people out of work". But all this would do is give us, the independent private hire operators, our drivers back. Many companies' doors have closed and those that are left have struggled just to stay afloat in this industry. I think there will be no drivers out of work; they would just go back to private hire operators.
It would also make customers' safety better monitored, as was the case pre-Uber. All companies have had their own checks and procedures for many years, and that has worked. So why, after a few years of trading, can Uber say sorry, we were doing it a bit wrong and we will do it the correct way now that TfL wants to close us down. Private hire operators do not have the funds to take TfL to court as Uber has threatened. It's just not fair.
Ibrat Ali
Embassy Direct, London