Uber's License To Operate In London Revoked

Uber’s history of scandals and disregard for local rules finally caught up with it on Monday, when London declined to renew the ride-hailing firm’s license to operate in the city, its biggest European market.

Transport for London, the agency that oversees the city’s subways, buses and taxicabs, identified a “pattern of failures” by the company and described it as “not fit and proper.”

New: Understand from multiple sources Uber will not be granted an operator's licence later this morning by the regulator Transport for London.

— Theo Usherwood (@theousherwood) November 25, 2019

The decision followed after safety breaches had “left passengers at risk” and Uber did not have “a robust system for protecting passenger safety”. 

TfL said Uber had unlicensed and banned drivers misusing other people’s accounts to pick up passengers, and a number of drivers did not have proper insurance to operate. The company includes 45,000 drivers.

Uber in a statement said the TfL's decision to revoke the license was “extraordinary and wrong" and they would challenge it.

We understand we’re held to a high bar, as we should be. But this TfL decision is just wrong. Over the last 2 years we have fundamentally changed how we operate in London. We have come very far — and we will keep going, for the millions of drivers and riders who rely on us.

— dara khosrowshahi (@dkhos) November 25, 2019

Uber, whose license will expire at 11.59 pm on Monday, has 21 days to appeal the decision and can operate in the meantime.

Uber was previously denied a licence in London in September 2017, leading to a protracted legal battle with London's regulator, winning it a reprieve. Due to ongoing safety concerns, TfL offered the firm only a two-month extension in September 2019, dashing its hope of securing a long-term license.