A Better Gig: Car Services in West Yorkshire and the Potential for Platform Cooperatives

Summary

There is growing dissatisfaction with the increases in the precariousness of the labour market in the UK. The findings presented in this report show that for many private hire drivers, their working lives are characterised by poor pay, poor conditions, and exploitation. They also show that passengers feel powerless to effect change and find that a lack of effective, accessible public transport leads to social isolation, exclusion, and dependence on support from others. We show that a private hire platform cooperative has the potential not only to improve working conditions for drivers but also to improve services for vulnerable communities.