The number of subscribers to the smartphone taxi app Uber rocketed by 850 per cent partly as a result of the cabbies blockade that was intended to drive them out of business.
Details of the firm's protest dividend came as the mayor was due to talk to London cabbies this afternoon for a scheduled meeting following yesterday's protest which involved at least 5,000 drivers and bought central London to a standstill.
Unite, the RMT and the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association all took part in the go-slow crippling Parliament Square, trafalgar Square and Whitehall.
Cabbies want Transport for London to revoke Uber's mini cab license claiming the firm operates illegally by using smartphone taximeters.
Uber taxi protests
Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at transport for London told the Standard: "The taxi trade does not agree with my decision in respect if whether the Uber app is a taximeter.
"We told them we will take it to the High Court for a ruling. The protest is pointless and it inconveniences Londoners and damages the economy. Bringing london to a halt isn't the way civilised people go about it."
He said it could take months for a High Court decision.
The LTDA have also highlighted that Uber operated from Holland, although the company insists it pays all the tax it owes.
Steve McNamara, of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, said: "We take comfort from the fact that mayor said he was concerned that Uber were operating outside of the UK."
Uber general manager for UK and Ireland Jo Bertram UK&I GM, said: “Londoners are voting with their fingers, tapping the app in support of new and innovative services as we see our biggest day of sign-ups in London since launch two years ago.
"We’re seeing an 850% increase in sign-ups compared to last Wednesday. The results are clear, London wants Uber in a big way. "
