The British Hospitality Association has welcomed the move by Transport for London (TFL) to issue a second consultation to “modernise” private car regulations on businesses such as Uber.
The move follows the publication of a petition from Uber, signed by 90,000 people, against a possible crackdown on its services.
The measures being considered by TFL could include the introduction of an interval of at least five minutes between a booking and the start of a journey.
Other proposals involve a requirement for drivers to pass an English language test and a map reading assessment, while firms could have to operate a fixed landline telephone and accept bookings up to seven days in advance.
CEO of the BHA, Ufi Ibrahim said: “This consultation by TFL will look into the regulations governing private-hire taxis and is to be commended.
“It shows that TFL is listening to its stakeholders across the industry and concerns for public safety and standards. The investigation into the sharing economy mini cab sector which includes multinational, multi-billion dollar companies like Uber, will review if sharing economy providers should continue operating under lighter, less costly regulations than the rest of the sector.”
She added the consultation could have “repercussions” for the hospitality industry which has been championing the need for similar consultations. BHA said hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments are facing challenges from more lightly-regulated businesses such as Airbnb.
Earlier this week, the Institute of Directors, which represents thousands of business leaders in Britain, attacked TFL’s plans to curb many of Uber’s services, saying they would “embed economic inefficiency” in the capital’s transport regulations.
“Imposing a minimum five-minute wait time will just mean passengers stand on the side of the road looking at their car, unable to get in - wasting time, clogging streets and costing money,” said Simon Walker, director general of the IOD. Outlawing companies from showing available cars on an app is a Luddite solution to a problem which doesn’t exist.
“Their proposals for further restrictions to an already heavily-regulated industry are backwards and would damage London’s reputation as a city which celebrates innovation and embraces change,” he added.
Over the past couple of years Uber has faced strong criticism from taxi drivers across Europe with protests being held in London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris.