UBER drivers licensed in Bradford are ‘sleeping out’ in York to get trade, it has been claimed.

York registered taxi and private hire drivers angry about losing business say the out-of-town drivers are unchecked and unregulated by the local authority.

The city attracts Uber drivers from all over the UK, from as far away as London and Scotland, but the biggest percentage of them are coming from Bradford, according to York Private Hire Association which has more than 700 members.

An association spokesman said: “Taking fare-money out of the York community by using out-of-town cars who do not meet the standards set for local taxis, who rely on a sat nav which rarely goes the shortest distance and who loiter in the York licensing area after their job has ended, needs to come to an end.”

The association has set up an online petition to try and drive Uber out.

“Bradford Uber drivers are sleeping in their vehicles in side-streets, they are working crazy hours. We have warned York Council of the dangers,” said the Association spokesman.

Matt Boxall, head of public protection at City of York Council said: “City of York Council is working closely with neighbouring authorities on monitoring and enforcing compliance with legislation in order to manage the impact of licensed private hire vehicles working across different authority areas.”

An Uber spokesman said: “Drivers who use the Uber app are no different to other licensed drivers – they hold a private hire licence, have passed the required DBS background checks and are insured for every trip.

"It’s common practice for drivers to carry out trips between cities and they are legally allowed to do so if the trip is pre-booked. Uber has a zero tolerance approach to plying for hire – any driver found to accept a street hail will be stopped from using our app.”