Uber London Ltd has lost its High Court challenge over new language requirement rules planned for private-hire vehicles.
Opponents of the proposed Transport for London (TfL) package, which includes a requirement that drivers do tests in reading and writing basic English, claim it will lead to “indirect racial discrimination” and threaten the livelihood of around 30,000 drivers.
The company, which has a private-hire vehicle (PHV) operator’s licence, launched the action with three individually licensed drivers.
On Friday in London, Mr Justice Mitting said TfL was entitled to require drivers to demonstrate compliance with the English language requirement and there was not any practical alternative.
The judge went on to quash other requirements relating to a telephone service to deal with complaints and insurance.
