Uber wants your journey on tape as safety concerns mount Tech Uber is turning passengers’ phones into in-car recording devices as the ride-hailing giant introduces a new feature allowing users to capture audio during journeys amid growing concerns around safety and identity verification. From Thursday, riders across the UK were able to press record before or during trips directly through the Uber app, with encrypted audio [...]
LEVC: London electric taxi company loses £180m Transport and infrastructure LEVC, the London electric taxi company, lost almost £180m during its latest financial year as its sales were slashed. The Coventry-headquartered electric taxi maker, which is also known as London EV Company, has reported a pre-tax loss of £179.4m, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The business, which is owned by Chinese automotive [...]
Backlash grows as Reeves eyes VAT raid on cabs Politics Rachel Reeves is facing a mounting backlash over plans to impose VAT on taxi fares, with campaigners warning the move will hammer rural residents, make it harder for disabled people to attend medical appointments, and heap pressure on the NHS budget. The chancellor is weighing proposals to introduce a 20 per cent levy on all [...]
Bolt: Uber rival’s profit almost wiped out as legal battles drag on September 18, 2025 Profit at the UK arm of Uber rival Bolt was almost wiped out during its latest financial year as it diverted considerable resources to its on-going legal battles. The online taxi firm has reported a pre-tax profit of £133,355 for 2024, down from the £8.2m it achieved in 2023. The business had previously made a [...]
Uber’s UK arm warns on profit amid rising costs September 5, 2025 Uber has warned it may not remain profitable in the UK because of rising costs despite its revenue surging by more than £1bn during its latest financial year. The US giant has said it will need to generate and sustain increased revenue levels while lowering proportionate expenses in the coming years “to achieve profitability in [...]
Uber rivals handed major VAT boost by Supreme Court July 29, 2025 Rival taxi operators to Uber will not have to pay 20 per cent VAT on their profits outside London following a landmark Supreme Court ruling. The court has decided that private-hire operators do not enter into a contract with passengers and therefore are except from the tax. The ruling comes after US giant Uber brought [...]
Bolt: Uber rival appoints first UK boss May 8, 2025 Bolt, the Estonian ride-hailing platform, has appointed a new UK boss in a sign of its intention to double down on its second biggest market. Kimberly Hurd will join as the company’s first senior general manager for the UK, following stints in the fintech sector and at the Indian food delivery app Zomato. Top of [...]
The London taxi trade is dying, and it only has itself to blame April 17, 2025 A new report has predicted the demise of the iconic London taxi, and Uber isn't to blame, writes James Ford.
Bolt sends £200m warning to Reeves ahead of Uber VAT ruling March 21, 2025 Ride-hailer Bolt has sent a stern warning to Rachel Reeves over government inaction on a possible 20 per cent VAT hike for taxi firms. City PM understands the mobility firm has written to the Chancellor warning it has withheld £200m of investment in the UK over the last three years as ministers dither over the [...]
Addison Lee returned to profit ahead of £270m takeover February 28, 2025 London’s premium private hire cab service, Addison Lee, returned to the black in the year before being acquired by transport giant ComfortDelGro for almost £270m, it has been revealed. The business, which has a network of 7,500 drivers and 5,000 vehicles, achieved a pre-tax profit of £1.8m in the 12 months to 31 August, 2024. The [...]
