War on wheels: an Uber driver and a black-cab driver debate London’s taxi trade

This week saw another mass protest by London black-cab drivers against Uber - so we brought two drivers from opposite sides of the road together to discuss the pros and cons of this ongoing disruption to the traditional cab industry

Related: Black-cab drivers' Uber protest brings London traffic to a standstill

This week, 8,000 London taxi drivers brought central London to a standstill in protest at the rise of Uber, the industry-disrupting ride-hailing app, and the light-touch regulation they say allows it to threaten their livelihoods. There are around 100,000 private hire or minicab drivers in London (with around 10,000 new drivers licensed every year), and at least 25,000 of them drive for Uber. It has become an increasingly bitter dispute. Seamus Balfe, who has been a black-cab driver for 16 years, and James Farrar, an Uber driver who is also co-founder of United Private Hire Drivers, which represents minicab drivers, navigate the issues.