Uber has been banned in York

York council is refusing to continue to grant Uber a licence to operate, having launched in our city only a year ago.

York is now the third UK city to announce this move, following London in September and Sheffield last week.

Whereas London's decision to ban the taxi company from the City was on the grounds that it was not "fit and proper" to operate, York City council had something different to say on the matter.

A report from York City council's licensing team prior to yesterday's vote uncovered that, "there is no evidence before your officers that indicates the applicant is not fit and proper to hold an operator's licence in York."

Yet, the council's gambling, licensing and regulatory committee ultimately made the decision on the grounds that its "concerns about data breach currently under investigation and the number of complaints received." This data breach, which was reported on last month, had impact on most users of the Uber App in the entirety of the UK. Names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers were stolen.

Jake Todhunter, a student at York St John University, is worried that York has become unappealing for any potential businesses. Speaking to The Tab York, he argues that the move "shows that York as a city is devolving itself, as they don't allow innovation to happen here. Competition and consumer choice are not allowed."

Speaking to Sky News, the Chairman of York Hackney Carriage Drivers Association, Saf Din, told York council that Uber was "systematically abusing" local laws and "looking for loopholes" by using out-of-town vehicles." He also claimed that Uber are "not a fair player in the public transport world in the UK."

Although this is bad news for students who constantly strive to get the cheapest deals on taxi fares around the city, local taxi drivers must be breathing a sigh of relief, having staged a city-wide protest against Uber back in September.