Crackdown on Uber drivers sees hundreds of bans and infringement notices issued

Saturday, 10 June 2017

Christchurch Uber driver Jo Manson says many of her fellow Uber drivers don't have the correct licence.

Over 80 Uber drivers have been banned from driving commercially, and hundreds more have been fined for not complying with commercial driving regulations.

The ride-share company does not require its drivers to get a passenger 'P' licence endorsement - a legal necessity to transport people commercially - frustrating both taxi operators and other Uber drivers who have the correct paperwork.

A breakdown of notices and prohibitions the NZTA have handed out to Uber drivers to May 5.

The latest available New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) figures show 81 Uber drivers have been banned from driving commercially.

Of those, 52 were in Auckland, 28 in Christchurch, and one in Wellington. The bans have skyrocketed since January this year, when only 29 had been given.

Some taxi operators have concerns for the public's safety as Uber vehicles are not marked, but drivers for the service believe the features of the app ensures their passengers safety.

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The figures also reveal:

* 189 infringement notices have been handed out, with fines ranging from $600 to $150.

* All but four were handed out in the Christchurch region.

* 98 were given for not having the right vehicle inspection and 55 for operators working without the required endorsements.

Most of the fines or bans were handed out based on complaints made to the NZTA. The majority are in Christchurch because the company ditched a requirement for drivers to have a P endorsement when it launched there in March 2017.

Uber instead implemented their own driver vetting process which was faster and significantly cheaper than getting a P endorsement.

The NZTA decided this was illegal - and less rigorous than the vetting process for the P endorsement, and encouraged Uber drivers to be aware of their legal requirements.

Go with Jo dial-a-driver owner Jo Manson has been driving for Uber part-time since they launched in Christchurch last April, and has all the relevant licences, certifications and insurance.

Manson, who uses Uber regularly to get back to her car after driving customers home in theirs, said 'in all the [Uber] drivers I've had, there's a hell of a lot more unlicensed than licensed.'

Legal drivers were 'all very frustrated' that drivers without the right licenses were doing the same work, but had not put in the money or time to get legal, she said.

She said there were still a lot of drivers who were fully compliant, and a lot who started without the right licenses but had obtained them since.

Manson had heard of 'horror stories' where drivers without the right insurance had been in an accident, and gone to drop off their customers before returning to the scene.

Another Uber driver, Steve, who did not want his surname used, believed the majority of Uber drivers had their P endorsement and certification.

Steve, who has the correct licence, said he thought it was safer for passengers to use Uber than a taxi, as they could follow the car on the app, knew the driver and car registration, and could share trip details with friends or family members in real-time.

Drivers were also safer as they did not carry cash and did not accept people hailing them on the street, he said.

'The public's spoken. They love Uber. They love the service we provide. They love the safety. They love the fact that we're friendly drivers.'

New Zealand Taxi Federation Canterbury president Stan Gane said he was concerned about the safety of the public as Uber cars were unmarked.

'How do we know if the car is an Uber car or not, until we check? It could just be a predator sitting out there.'

The 35-year industry veteran was concerned users, especially those who were intoxicated, would get into 'ghost cabs', or unmarked cars which were not part of any company or network.

Gane said he accepted the proposed law changes would happen but was concerned there would be a bad incident in the time before the changes were made.

'I welcome change providing that we keep in place the safety aspects and the fairness, the level playing field.'

Blue Star Taxi shareholder Jaspinder Pal Singh said competition was always welcome but there needed to be 'a level playing field for everyone'.

He said taxi drivers had expended the time and money to become qualified by getting the appropriate licenses, while Uber drivers just jumped in the car and use the GPS on their phone.

'If we have everything, they should have everything.'

When asked about drivers operating illegally, an Uber spokesman said the company welcomed the government's commitment to making the P endorsement more accessible to Kiwis.

'In the meantime, we'll continue providing our safe, fast and affordable screening process that delivers the safety outcomes the travelling public want and expect.'

Changes proposed under the Land Transport Amendment Bill would see rules around getting a P endorsement eased, which Uber has campaigned for. The bill successfully passed a second reading in parliament in late May.

Uber is established in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, and is setting up in Hamilton. Tauranga is also in the company's sights. About 300,000 New Zealanders use the service, which has about 4,000 Kiwi drivers.