Thousands of Black Cab Drivers joined peaceful protests throughout the Capital for a week in January, against Uber and TfL.
The Plan Van joined on Monday the 15th January in Elephant and Castle where, despite the very wet and windy conditions, an incredible turnout disrupted the traffic all afternoon.
The reason behind the demonstrations were the fact that TfL allowed Uber to carry on operating in London despite having revoked their license. The cabbies feel they also deserve compensation for the loss of income during those five years when Uber were allowed to operate.
The protests took place throughout the week, in various locations: Elephant & Castle, Marble Arch, Westminster, Victoria and the Strand, to name a few.
TfL reacted by saying: “The law stipulates that operators can continue until any appeals process is exhausted. We urge the organisers to call the protests off.”
But this didn’t deter the cabbies: on Thursday, London Bridge was completely blocked off until nearly 7pm, and a final protest was staged on Aldwych and The Strand on Friday afternoon.
In terms of attendance, we can certainly say that the Black Cab Drivers rallied behind the cause. Reality is, things need to change as the current situation in the Capital currently isn’t right. Whether TfL will hear is another matter. The Uber case is still ongoing and it doesn’t look like they will stop operating in the Capital just yet.