CABBIES are concerned that Uber drivers from cities across the country are flocking to their area.

One Uber driver was pictured sleeping in his car in a pub car park in Falmer – 65 miles from Southampton where a sticker on his vehicle said he was registered.

Other videos on YouTube show Uber drivers from Merseyside and London sleeping in Brighton.

Now Brighton and Hove taxi drivers have voiced their worries about the trend, called cross border hiring.

Andrew Peters from the GMB Brighton and Hove Taxi Section said: “Since Uber came to the city in 2016 the local trade immediately saw the problems of cars from Wolverhampton, Sefton and such like – which have lower licensing requirements – coming to the city to predominantly work here under Uber.

“Unfortunately some of these drivers were sleeping in their cars night in and night out on the seafront and in car parks, which is not only not good for their own welfare but also for the safety of the customers.

“Now we have cars from Southampton, Portsmouth, Havant, Chichester, Fareham, Lewes and elsewhere predominantly working in the city under Uber where Brighton and Hove City Council are unable to instigate enforcement for check-ups.”

Mr Peters contacted both Southampton City Council and Brighton and Hove City Council to address the problem.

He said: “We are hoping that the council have spoken to him [the driver sleeping at Falmer] and warned him of the dangers of doing this not only for his own wellbeing but also for the safety of the Uber customers.”

He said it was dangerous to have drivers who are not “properly rested and refreshed” being responsible for their passengers.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said: “When making licensing decisions, our priority is the safety of residents and visitors and that’s why we, as an authority, set a high level of conditions.

“All Brighton and Hove private hire and Hackney carriage drivers in the city operate under the same licences and guidelines and undergo the same background checks, whichever company they drive for.

“Uber’s operating model is a challenge to local licensing conditions and the current licensing regulations and needs to be addressed at a national level.”

She added: “As the vehicle isn’t licensed by Brighton and Hove we’re not able to know the exact circumstances of this case but we do know that Southampton City Council is aware of the situation and have provided their response to the GMB.”

Southampton City Council and Uber were both contacted for comment but at the time The Argus went to print no response had been received.