Uber has challenged the taxi industry and it’s too late to apply the brakes

Transport for London's belated attempt to regulate the sector is wrongheaded

Uber is not perfect. It is important to make that point before analysing Transport for London's attempts to curtail its expansion. The taxi app has not done enough to guarantee the safety of its passengers or stop its prices surging when cities face unique events. On a lighter note, its drivers' obsession with rigidly following their satnavs can be hugely irritating when that means flying over speed bumps and avoiding traffic-free routes that as a local resident you know are quicker.

However, this not an excuse for TfL's ham-fisted attempt to protect the status quo. The organisation has launched a consultation on plans to overhaul the private-hire car market in London. The proposals include an interval of at least five minutes between booking a car and the start of a journey, a requirement for drivers to pass an English-language test and a map-reading assessment. Taxi firms may also have to operate a landline telephone service and accept bookings up to seven days in advance.

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