Westmorland and Furness Council has agreed to grant Uber a licence to operate within the district – meaning residents and visitors will soon be able to hail Uber drivers in the area.
The council’s regulatory committee met at Kendal Town Hall today (11th September) to consider the company’s application for a Private Hire Operator Licence. After discussion, councillors voted to accept officer recommendations and approved a three-year licence.
The committee was told “Private Hire Operators may only dispatch vehicles and drivers that are licensed by the same local authority as the operator."
“It has also been established that the operator can use the vehicles within its organisation for journeys both inside and outside of the local authority in which it is licensed.”
Although Uber has already been able to take passengers in Westmorland and Furness through licences held with other authorities, this new approval means the company is now directly licensed within the district.
When asked about the number of drivers expected to operate locally, an Uber representative told the committee that the company did not “have a specific target or number in mind”. Driver numbers, they said, would be “supply and demand driven”. The representative added that Uber is “consistently trying to grow the marketplace, but in a balanced way”, but gave no details on any upper limit for drivers.
Uber is a global company operating in more than 15,000 cities across 70 countries. Its UK base is in London, with regional officers around the country to manage local issues. Nationally, Uber currently holds 93 Private Hire Operator licences, though in some areas councils have refused or withdrawn permission to operate.
With the new licence granted, Uber is set to expand its presence in Westmorland and Furness over the next three years.
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