This article was published on September 28, 2020

Uber to stay in London (for now) despite its long history of safety concerns

Lawyers have been invited to comment on the terms of the license


Uber to stay in London (for now) despite its long history of safety concerns Image by: Flickr - Cary Bass-Deschenes - Edited

After years of delivering its service whilst the legal case over its official London operating license ambled along, judges have finally made their decision: Uber gets its license back.

Despite “historical failings,” a judge has just this morning deemed that Uber is “fit and proper” to offer its ride-hailing service in the English capital, Sky News reports.

The ruling, which probably few were expecting, will mean that Uber can get an official London Private Hire Vehicle license.

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In a statement, Judge Tan Ikram said: “Despite their historical failings, I find them, now, to be a fit and proper person to hold a London PHV (private hire vehicle) operator’s license.”

Uber lost is operating license way back in 2017 after Transport for London (TfL) raised a number safety concerns, including how the company reports crimes, obtains medical certificates, and performs background checks.

In 2019, TfL refused to grant Uber a new license saying that it had continued with a “pattern of failures” over the safety and security of how its platform operates.

The ruling is no doubt good news for Uber and its drivers — who could have been out of work if the license appeal was revoked.

Lawyers have been invited to have their say on the license’s terms and duration, so it looks like Uber will get to stay in London, at least for now.

More to follow…

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