Uber licensed to operate in 'tough' Oxford market

Taxi app giant Uber has been given a licence to operate in Oxford and its surrounding areas.

The firm launched its service on Wednesday after Oxford City Council said it "found no reason to refuse the application".

The company said it was "delighted" to be launching in "one of the UK's most iconic cities".

But some private hire and black cab drivers in Oxford have said that Uber may struggle to succeed in the city.

Sajad Khan, secretary of the City of Oxford Licenced Taxicab Association, said the company faced a "challenge" operating in Oxford.

"Oxford is a small city to be honest and the work is dependent a lot on students," he explained.

"If students are away it gets very quiet."

He added: "Our trade is going through a bad patch since Covid.

"This includes people working from home, financial difficulties, not many people coming off the train station - which is the main rank for us.

"So at the moment the situation is tough out there."

He said while Uber's move into Oxford could be a "concern", it also contradicted council strategies to reduce traffic and harmful emissions.

"I'm not sure how this will help the local authority... more cars are going to be introduced to Oxford," he said.

Uber said it understood Oxford was "heavily focussed on congestion", and that enabling people to book an Uber rather than driving was "important".

"Uber has operated in London for many years, which is also focussed on important issues such as congestion and Electric Vehicles (EVs), with London now Uber's global leading city for EVs," it said.

Oxford City Council said the application was reviewed "against the same criteria as all other private hire operators in the city".

An Uber spokesperson said it would be providing "new earning opportunities for local drivers, give passengers greater transport options and support the local economy".

It said: "Uber's industry leading safety features will give passengers the ability to book safe trips to wherever they want to go, in particular the city's students and tourists."

Uber also claimed it had "well over 100" drivers, and expected that to increase in the coming weeks.

In a statement Oxford City Council said: "A new operator will give residents and visitors more options for moving around the city safely and conveniently."

Uber connects passengers to drivers via an app which uses GPS technology to locate available taxis.

It has launched in other UK cities over the past year, including Aberdeen and York.

Taxi drivers previously protested in Oxford when Uber launched a local cab trial in 2021.

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