Uber is useful, convenient and safe. How can TfL justify cracking down on it?

Oh, Transport for London. How could you? That was my reaction when I read the plans to crackdown on Uber in the capital. And it seems over 80,000 people agree with me, judging by a petition that was launched on Tuesday. For a city which is meant to be the centre of global commerce, with Boris Johnson who supposedly loves markets as its mayor, London really isn’t doing too well. First the night tube service, which was meant to start on the 11th of September, got delayed thanks to pressure from the unions, and now Transport for London (TFL) is protecting taxi drivers from innovation and competition. Lest anyone think this is actually about public safety or ‘raising standards across the industry’, as TFL has claimed, the proposed rules make it clear that the sole purpose is to put Uber (and other ride-sharing apps) in the cross-hairs. These include:

• A mandatory five minute wait time even if a car is immediately available.