THE COURT date for Uber's appeal of its London ban is set for 6 July, with a judge deciding yesterday that the capital's largest taxi union can take part in the proceedings.

Chief magistrate of England and Wales Emma Arbuthnot ruled yesterday that the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA) is an "interested party" in the case, meaning it can access documents and make submissions.

The LTDA has run an ongoing campaign against Uber operating in the capital, claiming that the ridesharing app has undercut the taxi industry. Its members rejoiced when Transport for London (TFL) failed to renew Uber's operating licence in November over a "pattern of failures"related to passenger safety.

TFL said that when it banned Uber the app had unlicensed operators uploading photos on other people's accounts, leading to at least 14,000 trips involving fraudulent drivers.

It has been allowed to operate while it awaits its appeal.

LTDA general secretary Steve McNamara said: "As the voice of London taxi drivers for nearly 50 years, we will be vigorously opposing this outrageous appeal and defending the best interests of Londoners."

Uber declined to comment.

(c) 2020 City A.M., source Newspaper