Taxi firm Uber has applied for a licence to operate in Darlington. 

The private hire company’s request is currently being considered by Darlington Borough Council and is due to be decided later this year. 

Uber vehicles from nearby Stockton-on-Tees and Durham are often seen in the town as they can lawfully take cross-border bookings. 

The global firm confirmed it had applied for a licence but would not comment further until the application process is complete. 

It expanded its North East operations in Stockton earlier this year following demand from residents. 

Uber has been rumoured to operate in Darlington for several years but local businesses previously warned of losing customers to the global taxi firm. 

The current four private hire license operators in Darlington are 1AB (now ‘Take Me’); United; Falcon Cars; and GPS Travel. 

Last October, Darlington Borough Council warned the number of taxi drivers in Darlington has declined by about 30 per cent since the pandemic, as fewer drivers struggle to service demand. 

Addressing the rumours of Uber operating in the town then, the council said: “Uber has a business model that suits large towns and cities, particularly with a university student population. Developments planned for Darlington may make the town an attractive proposition to Uber in the future.”

The local authority added that there are currently enough licensed vehicles between operators in the town, but there are insufficient drivers to service the current demand at peak times.

Despite the service struggles, fares in Darlington continue to be the highest in the Tees Valley for a two-mile journey at £6.30 - however, charges are determined by the operator and not the council. 

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Local firm 1AB Taxis warned in 2021: “The difficulty for us as a local company that provides local jobs is if someone like Uber comes in they could take all of the local companies out of it.

“Since 1984, we have supported local charities and the NHS, and throughout Covid-19 we spent a lot of money locally.

“You wouldn’t get that commitment, service, and support from Uber. They will take all the local companies out of the market. We are very much a local company that wants to support the people of Darlington and the surrounding area.”