ProDriver Congress July 19th 2016 Bath Road Heathrow

A one-day conference aimed at bringing into focus the threats and opportunities that face private hire and chauffeur operators in London.

The conference is FREE to attend for licensed private hire and chauffeur operators only.

Non-qualifying delegates can reserve a ticket for £240 (excluding VAT).

The conference programme will run from 10.00 to 14.00. A buffet lunch and refreshments will be provided, along with car parking for £10 for the day for registered delegates.

For the full list of speakers and sessions please go to our web site.

Session Topics and Timings:

9.00am Registration and coffee.

10:00 - 10:45

New rules, new mayor - is Transport for London giving us the regulation we deserve?

Sadiq Khan is the new mayor – what is that likely to mean for the taxi and private hire sector in London? Will the new Mayor seek to protect the Black Cabs, and limit the expansion of Uber? And will the established operators be caught in the crossfire? TfL has backed away from some of its more controversial proposals, but some potentially unworkable proposals remain – notably the Zero-Emissions Capability requirement. How realistic or workable is this?

The rise of Uber how does it affect the private hire and chauffeur sector, and how should operators respond? Is consolidation the way ahead? Can bigger fleets offer a better service? Outside London, Veezu is leading the consolidation. In London, the big fleets are getting bigger too. Is there still a place for the smaller operator?

10:45 - 11:30

Strategies to combat Uber

The rise of Uber how does it affect the private hire and chauffeur sector, and how should operators respond? Is consolidation the way ahead? Can bigger fleets offer a better service? Outside London, Veezu is leading the consolidation. In London, the big fleets are getting bigger too. Is there still a place for the smaller operator?

11:30 - 11:45

Coffee/refreshments break Sponsored by

11:45 - 12:30

Harnessing technology to compete with Uber

Uber has based its success on its app, but it doesn’t have a monopoly of the technology. How can technology help you compete? How do apps, integrated booking systems, aggregators and comparison services help level the playing field?

12:30 - 13:30

Lunch Sponsored by

13:30 - 14:15

Heathrow Airport

Heathrow airport is looking to expand. But there is a continued failure to recognise the role of the private hire sector in delivering high-value customers to the airport. What can be done to make a better environment for operators engaged in airport work? Will the new private hire car parking area help operators, or is it just an attempt to get Uber cars off the streets around the airport?

14:15 - 15:00

Autonomous vehicles- Self driving Taxis

Volvo is testing driverless lorries, while and Google and Tesla have autonomous cars on the road - but what does it mean for the future of the private hire and taxi industry?

Autonomous vehicles are already on our roads. Self-driving cars are already being tested in pilot programmes alongside conventional cars with human drivers. And many high-end vehicles available today already contain many self-driving features, such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and lane assist systems.

How will the private hire and taxi trade operate autonomous vehicles in the future? And how should we balance public safety and the role of the professional driver against whatever advantages self-driving taxis might bring?