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Uber loses its license to operate in London

But Ubers will continue to operate in the city as the company appeals the move.

Uber loses its license to operate in London

[Photo: Charles/Unsplash]

BY Michael Grothaus1 minute read

Uber has lost its license to operate its ride-hailing service in London, the Guardian reports. The city’s transportation regulator, Transport for London, said Uber was afflicted by a “pattern of failures,” which led to its decision. One of those patterns of failure, the TfL says, is that 14,000 Uber trips were taken where the drivers were uninsured. Another was that suspended drivers could simply create another account and once again carry passengers, which the TfL says was “compromising passenger safety and security.”

Announcing its decision not to renew Uber’s license, in a press release posted on its site, the TfL said:

Uber has made a number of positive changes and improvements to its culture, leadership and systems in the period since the Chief Magistrate granted it a licence in June 2018. This includes interacting with TfL in a transparent and productive manner.

However, TfL has identified a pattern of failures by the company including several breaches that placed passengers and their safety at risk. Despite addressing some of these issues, TfL does not have confidence that similar issues will not reoccur in the future, which has led it to conclude that the company is not fit and proper at this time.

It’s important to note that though TfL has decided not to renew Uber’s license, Ubers will continue to be on the street in London for the time being. Uber has 21 days to appeal the decision, during which time the service can continue operating. Uber can also continue to operate during the entire appeal process, which the Wall Street Journal says could last for as long as eight months.

In a statement regarding TfL’s decision, Uber’s regional general manager Jamie Heywood said:

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TfL’s decision not to renew Uber’s license in London is extraordinary and wrong, and we will appeal. We have fundamentally changed our business over the last two years and are setting the standard on safety.

On behalf of the 3.5 million riders and 45,000 licensed drivers who depend on Uber in London, we will continue to operate as normal and will do everything we can to work with TfL to resolve this situation.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Grothaus is a novelist and author. He has written for Fast Company since 2013, where he's interviewed some of the tech industry’s most prominent leaders and writes about everything from Apple and artificial intelligence to the effects of technology on individuals and society. Michael’s current tech-focused areas of interest include AI, quantum computing, and the ways tech can improve the quality of life for the elderly and individuals with disabilities More


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