Share

Uber limits driver hours in Britain

London - US ride-hailing app Uber on Tuesday said it would cap the number of hours its drivers can work in Britain from next week in a bid to increase safety after heavy criticism of its business practices.

The new policy means that drivers must take an uninterrupted six-hour break after 10 hours, and will not be able to log on to the app during that time.

The company had already been messaging drivers who were working too long to switch off its app.

"We believe this is an industry first and are not aware of any other private hire operator in the UK that has introduced such a limit," Uber said in a statement.

"It's another example of how Uber uses technology to help enhance driver and passenger safety," Andrew Byrne, Uber's head of policy, was quoted as saying.

Uber is currently appealing against the withdrawal of its licence in London over the way in which the company reports serious criminal offences and obtains criminal record checks for its drivers.

Uber can continue to operate in London pending the appeal, which is set to be heard later this year.

Uber is also appealing against an employment court ruling that would give its drivers the right to paid holidays and the national minimum wage.

Uber has around 40 000 drivers in London and 50 000 in Britain as a whole.

Labour MP Rachel Reeves, head of the British parliament's business committee, welcomed the news.

"We received evidence of Uber drivers being logged into the Uber app for more than 60 hours per week so we welcome the introduction of limits to driver hours.

"We look forward to seeing how this will work in practice and hope other companies will quickly follow suit," she said.

But James Farrar, head of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, said drivers were tired "because they are not earning enough".

"If Uber forces drivers to work less without paying more it is just going to depress hourly earnings even further below the minimum wage and push drivers to the brink," he said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.96
-0.1%
Rand - Pound
23.92
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.0%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.35
-0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.1%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders