Uber’s aspirations to extend its services to North Lincolnshire have met an impediment due to unique licensing regulations requiring a landline telephone for operators. Local council policy necessitating a landline for private hire operators to receive bookings is emerging as an obstacle for the smartphone-based taxi service. This particular quirk was emphasised during a North Lincolnshire council scrutiny panel meeting where deliberation continues on how Uber could adjust to comply with local rules.
Richard Cropley, the council’s lead on trading standards, suggested that the landline stipulation is open to future review. He underlined the essential nature of Uber operating within the council’s licencing framework to maintain correct regulation. Uber remains focussed on penetrating the North Lincolnshire market and is actively engaging with the council to find a way to adhere to local policies.
Speaking on behalf of the company, the Uber spokesperson was positive about the prospect of introducing their services in the area, pointing to an existing gap in the market for their smartphone-based service. This story was drawn from original reporting on www.bbc.com by The Lincoln Post.
