Uber drivers stage protest in Leeds amid claims of plummeting incomes

More than 40 Uber drivers gathered outside the company's office on Burley Road in Leeds this morning to voice their concerns.

Protestors say Uber drivers with private hire licences issued by Leeds City Council are now vastly outnumbered by 'cross border' drivers operating in Leeds despite having private hire licences issued by neighbouring local authorities.

They say Uber has created a 'West Yorkshire Partnership' which means that if a driver has obtained a private hire licence from any council in the whole of Yorkshire they can operate anywhere in the county, including Leeds.

Uber driver Aflak Ahmed, 35, of Hyde Park, Leeds, was among more than 40 drivers who gathered outside the Uber offices on Burley Road this morning. (Tues Sept 18)

The father-of-two said: "It's really dismal, you can't even earn £40 a day because you are only getting a job around every two hours .We are not even earning the minimum wage.

"I'm having to take an extra mortgage out just to sustain a living at the moment. There are too many drivers and we are having to pay for our own licensing fee."

Father-of-three Muhammad Suleman, 46, said he was the first Uber driver in Leeds when he started working for the company in 2015.

Mr Suleman, said: "Day-by-day our expenses are going up and our earnings are going down. I used to make £100 a day and now I only make £50 or £60. How can I support my family earning only that amount?"

Uber driver Nadim Choudry, 45, said: "It's very hard. On September 9 I worked for 11 hours and I did 15 trips and only made £58.61.

"I can't make my living. People are not working in their own cities,they are coming to Leeds. It is very stressful at the moment and no-one is helping us."