Ipswich Green Party candidate takes stance against Uber

Ipswich Borough Council approved a licence for Uber on May 13, following which local Hackney Cab driver, Mo Ali, began his campaign to ask for restrictions on the American firm. 

Uber has said it will "boost earning opportunities for drivers" and "provide passengers with greater transport options" in Ipswich.

But news of Uber's approval prompted Mr Ali to take a ledger and ask every passenger in his cab to write down their opinions on the global giant having a presence in Suffolk's county town.

READ MORE: Uber 'will negatively impact business' says Ipswich driver 

His campaign has now got further support as Green Party candidate for Ipswich, Adria Pittock, has called for restrictions on Uber. 

She said: "It is really unacceptable that Ipswich Borough Council seemed to have sold these guys (local cab drivers) down the line and they've signed up with Uber for a five-year contract."

Adria Pittock, centre, backs Mo Ali's, second from right, campaign to restrict Uber in Ipswich. (Image: Shikhar Talwar)

The candidate added that she does not believe cab drivers want to work with Uber, because they are "not a reputable company".

She said the council contractors need to do due diligence before handing in the contract, and that the Green Party will control the number of licences the company gets.

The borough council said that as a local licencing authority, it has a statutory duty to accept and determine applications from any persons or company seeking a licence. 

Ipswich Borough Council has said it had no reason to block Uber's licence (Image: PA)

Therefore, it does not currently have the power to reject Uber's application. 

Meanwhile, Mr Ali who has been running this campaign from the driver's perspective said that he is pleased a political party is taking his cause seriously.

He added: "We feel that this current council has betrayed us by its poor decision-making that would affect the lives of many in Ipswich and surrounding areas by not standing up for the very people they serve."

Uber has been approved for Ipswich (file image) (Image: PA)

An Uber spokesperson said the ride-hailing service will bring economic opportunities for drivers looking to work in the gig economy, as well as offer passengers with a more options when looking to get to their destinations.

The spokesperson said: "We are pleased to have been granted a licence to operate in Ipswich, which will help boost earning opportunities for drivers, provide passengers with greater transport options across the town and support the local economy.”

Since launching in the UK in 2012, Uber is now available in more than 40 towns and cities across the country - with more than 60,000 drivers using the platform.

Uber Eats, Uber's online food ordering and delivery platform, already operates in Ipswich.

Adria Pittock will be fighting for the parliamentary seat for Ipswich on July 4. 

The seat was last won by Conservative Tom Hunt in 2019 and he is defending his seat in the general election.

Labour's Jack Abbott, James Sandbach of the Liberal Democrats, Reform's Tony Love, Freddie Sofar of the Communist Party and Terence Charles of the Heritage Party are also hoping to take the seat in the poll next week.