London Uber ban sparks calls for Australian audit of ride share and food delivery

Transport for London has determined that Uber is not “fit and proper”, saying that the company has failed to report “serious criminal offences.” It is also concerned about the company’s background checks.
 
TWU National Secretary, Tony Sheldon said a co-ordinated, Australia-wide audit of Uber would help bring it up to community standard by exposing the operator to appropriate scrutiny and regulation.

“We want Uber to continue operating in Australia, but only if it can meet community expectations about safety and fairness, both for drivers and consumers,” Mr Sheldon said.

“On Monday, I will write to state and federal transport ministers to seek a nationwide audit of Uber, co-ordinated by the Council of Australian Governments.

“Uber’s business model relies on outpacing regulators, but as the London experience shows, this is ultimately self-defeating. The audit we are proposing here in Australia is designed to save Uber from eating itself.

“We are all for ride sharing platforms, but they must not be built on poor safety, weak oversight and exploitation of drivers.

“COAG should include food delivery services such as Foodora, Deliveroo and of course Uber Eats in its audit.

“Technology is no excuse for trashing community standards such as safety and legal payment of workers. A close look at Uber and similar companies is long overdue.”