This archive report was first published on 25 November 2019.
Uber's license to operate in London has been revoked by Transport for London (TfL) due to safety concerns. The decision was made after TfL identified several breaches that put passengers at risk.
According to TfL, the company had allowed passengers to get into minicabs with drivers who were potentially unlicensed and uninsured. This is despite Uber introducing new safety features to its app in the past two years, including a system that automatically checks on the well-being of drivers and passengers during long stops.
Uber's regional general manager for northern and eastern Europe, Jamie Heywood, has stated that the company will appeal the decision. He claims that TfL's decision is 'extraordinary and wrong' and that Uber has fundamentally changed its business over the last two years to prioritize safety.
Uber has 21 days to appeal the decision, after which the case will go to a magistrate. The company has stated that it will continue to operate as normal while it appeals the decision.
It's not the first time TfL has stripped Uber of its license. In 2017, TfL concluded that Uber was 'not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator license.' However, the company was eventually granted a 15-month license by a judge in June 2018.
