LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 28: In this photo illustration a phone is held displaying the Uber logo … [+]
Uber can resume service in London after a court restored its suspended operating license.
In 2019, Transport for London denied the ride-hailing giant a new license, citing a “pattern of failures” tied to safety issues with the service.
The San Francisco-based company said it has improved its system for documenting its drivers’ insurance and clarified that drivers have been certified.
One of the problems that led TFL to suspend Uber’s license was the practice of unauthorized drivers responding to customers’ requests for rides. Some drivers had no license or suspended licenses. Others had been dismissed by the company for other reasons, but continued driving anyway.
“I am satisfied that they are doing what a reasonable business in their sector could be expected to do, perhaps even more,” Judge Tan Ikram said on Monday.
The licensing dispute was one of the latest regulatory bumps in Uber’s road. The same London agency previously denied Uber a license in 2017, but later restored it on a probationary basis.
Jamie Heywood, head of Uber’s operations for Northern and Eastern Europe said Judge Ikram’s ruling was “a recognition of Uber’s commitment to safety.”
Heywood conceded that the use of unauthorized drivers was wrong.
“It was not what we would do now,” he said. “It was inadequate. We could have done better.”
Despite its large scale in the U.S., Uber competes in London against such other ride-hailing platforms as Ola, Freenow and Bolt.
Drivers of London’s traditional black cabs have protested the growth of these services that are threats their business.
The new license allows Uber to provide service in London for 18 months.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London and chairman of Transport for London, warned Uber that it needs to follow through on the changes it promised.
In a statement, Khan said,” I can assure Londoners that TFL will continue to closely monitor Uber and will not hesitate to take swift action should they fail to meet the strict standards required to protect passengers.”
