Uber Wins Appeal; Licence Renewed for 18 Months

Uber has triumphed in its appeal against Transport for London over having its London licence withdrawn due to multiple safety concerns.

The ride-hailing app company has been assured its right to continue running in London with an 18-month licence renewal and is pardoned from the ban, according to Tech Crunch.

On 28 September the court decided London would not continue trying to administer an Uber ban now that the company’s improvements have satisfied safety concerns. However, the new London licence comes with 21 stipulations collectively recommended to Magistrate by Transport for London (TfL) and Uber. 

Judge Tan Ikram announced his decision to determine Uber’s London licence status at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court. The judge ruled Uber “no longer poses a risk to public safety,” CNBC reported. 

“Despite their historical failings,” Judge Ikram continued, “I find (Uber), now, to be a fit and proper person to hold a London PHV (private hire vehicle) operator’s licence.”

For a few weeks, it was unclear how long the London licence would be valid if one was granted. Now that the court has ruled the London licence will be renewed for 18 months, Uber and the thousands of drivers and riders that use the service are relieved.

But the 18-month London licence is significantly shorter than the five-year renewal Uber applied for in 2017.

Uber has faced struggled with TfL for a few years now.

Uber has struggled to have its London licence renewed after it was denied by TfL in 2017. The Uber ban was issued after TfL highlighted major safety issues with the ride-hailing service. TfL determined Uber was not fit to hold a London licence, and enforced the ban.

Uber subsequently won a tentative appeal in 2018.

The U.K. court ruled Uber could continue operating with a London licence for 15 months, while the company was expected to work on fulfilling TfL’s safety guidelines. But, in November 2019, TfL pointed out several other safety concerns and denied Uber’s London licence once again.

Last year’s Uber ban was put in place when TfL discovered illegitimate drivers provided about 14,000 rides to unassuming customers. Uber worked to right the safety wrongs uncovered by the regulator and established new rules, including driver ID checks.

In April, Uber remedied one of the regulator’s concerns by using a new system to authenticate its drivers’ identities using facial recognition technology and rider reviews. 

Despite losing its London licence more than once, Uber has been able to provide its services during the appeals processes.

After several years of continued uncertainty for Uber in London, 45,000 drivers can rely on providing services for at least 18 months, the BBC reported. Although it some faces competition and has been under heavy scrutiny due to controversies, Uber has been a widely-used favourite amongst Londoners since 2012.

Uber says it’s committed to improvement. Its Northern and Eastern Europe regional manager Jamie Heywood spoke to CNBC about the determination of its London licence.

“This decision is a recognition of Uber’s commitment to safety and we will continue to work constructively with TfL,” Heywood said. “There is nothing more important than the safety of the people who use the Uber app as we work together to keep London moving.”

Do you use Uber? Are you content with the decision to grant an 18-month London licence and remove the Uber ban? Let us know in the comments.

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