It was in 2012 that I first encountered Uber in New York. My expat British friend ignored the yellow cabs. “Let’s Uber it,” he said, fiddling with his phone. Within a couple of minutes a limousine drew up to whisk us to our destination. Seven years later, Uber has become so much part of everyday life in London and in dozens of other British cities that I can hardly remember a time when it wasn’t here.
Now Transport for London (TfL), which is chaired by the mayor, Sadiq Khan, is proposing to remove Uber’s licence to operate in the capital. The company is appealing against TfL’s decision and the issue will be decided in the courts. With train strikes imminent and Christmas coming, the timing