Uber aiming to return to Yorkshire city after six-year ban

Ride-hailing firm, Uber, could again operate private hire cars in York following a six-year ban from the city.

The business had its licence renewal rejected by City of York Council in December 2017, following complaints from local taxi drivers.

Uber drivers from other areas have been allowed to operate legally in the city despite the ban.

Uber Britannia Ltd lodged a fresh licence application in March, which will be considered at a council licensing committee meeting on Tuesday.

When the licence was turned down in 2017, the council outlined two main reasons.

The first was that there was a significant data breach in 2016 which affected 57m users, and the company had failed to report this to the authorities.

There had also been a rise in complaints about Uber drivers in York, which indicated to the council that there were “management issues”.

Meanwhile, Saf Din, chair of the York Hackney Carriage Drivers Association, circulated a petition against the licence renewal in 2017, which attracted 1,397 signatures. Other drivers voiced concerns about background checks on drivers using the Uber app.

A spokesman for Uber at the time argued that competition was good for the local economy and that all the company’s vehicles and drivers were checked.

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