The London Transport Authority (TFL) said on Monday it would not renew Uber operating license for the giant ride-sharing company from San Francisco, following a “pattern of failures” that “jeopardized passenger safety and safety.”
The London Transport Authority made the decision after a lengthy review of Uber’s activity in the city, which revealed, among other things, that 14,000 trips were made by drivers without insurance. London is Uber’s largest market in Europe, and the city has significance for the company’s continued overall growth.
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The London Transport Authority first suspended Uber’s license as early as 2017, voicing concerns about the company’s approach to safety. Uber received a 15-month extension from Bloomington Court for the continuation of the activity, and in September received another two-month extension from the Transportation Authority.
“Uber has made a number of positive changes and improvements in the form of its operations, leadership, and systems in the period that has passed since the Chief Justice approved her license in 2018,” the London Authority said. “The changes include interoperability between Uber and TFL (Transport for London) and increased transparency.”
However, the Authority wrote that Uber identified a pattern of failures, “including a number of violations that jeopardized passenger safety.” Despite addressing some of these issues, the London Transport Authority has no assurance “that similar cases will not happen again in the future, which led us to conclude that the company was inappropriate and improper at this point.”
The authority noted that it found that more than 14,000 trips were taken with drivers who had faked their identity on the firm’s app.
Uber announced that it intends to appeal the decision of the London Transport Authority, and for the next 21 days it can continue to operate the service.
“London Transport Authority’s decision not to renew Uber’s operating license in London is wrong and unusual, and we intend to appeal against it,” said Uber Chief Executive Jamie Heywood in Northern and Eastern Europe. “We have fundamentally changed our business over the past two years and are setting new standards for safety. Only two months ago, TFL found that we were fit and proper for operations.”
Haywood added: “On behalf of the 3.5 million passengers and 45,000 registered drivers who rely on Uber in London, we will continue to operate normally and do everything we can to work with the London Transport Authority to resolve the situation.”
Today Uber is facing increasing competition from companies such as Estonian Bolt and French Kapten.
