Uber secures the right to continue operating in London

Uber has secured its right to continue operating in London after a judge upheld its appeal against Transport for London (TfL).

The ridesharing giant received a new license to work in the capital, almost a year after TfL rejected its application on security grounds.

Eliminate uncertainty for the 45,000 drivers who use the London taxi app.

The Westminster Magistrates Court said Uber was now a “fit and proper” operator “despite historic failures.”

One of the main concerns raised by TfL was a glitch in Uber’s system that allowed unauthorized people to upload their photos to legitimate drivers’ accounts, which then allowed them to pick up passengers.

The Westminster Magistrates Court heard that 24 drivers shared their accounts with 20 others, resulting in 14,788 trips.

Uber’s regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, Jamie Heywood, said: “It was not what we would do now. It was inadequate, we could have done better.”

‘Fit and proper’

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram said he took into account Uber’s “history of regulatory violations” but said it had made efforts to address the flaws and improved standards.

“Despite his historical failings, I consider that, now, he is a fit and suitable person to have a London PHV [private hire vehicle] operator’s license, “he said.

The judge said Uber “doesn’t have a perfect track record, but it has improved the picture.”

“The proof of whether [Uber] being a ‘fit and proper person’ does not require perfection. I am satisfied that they are doing what could be expected of a reasonable business in their sector, perhaps even more. “

The new license will last for 18 months, the judge said. It is not yet clear whether conditions have been imposed.

Uber’s Heywood said: “This decision is an acknowledgment of Uber’s commitment to safety and we will continue to work constructively with TfL.”

TfL originally refused to renew Uber’s license in September 2017. The company then won a 15-month license from a judge in June 2018 after taking the case to court.

Uber was granted a two-month extension to its license in September last year, but in November TfL decided not to grant it a new license. At the time, TfL said it had “identified a pattern of failures by the company, including several violations that put passengers and their safety at risk.”

Uber appealed the decision and was allowed to continue operating throughout the process.

Business campaign group London First said Monday’s decision was “good news for millions of Londoners and visitors who depend on Uber to get around the capital.”

However, the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association said it was a “disaster for London”.

“Uber has shown time and again that it simply cannot be trusted to put the safety of Londoners, their drivers and other road users before profit,” he said. “Sadly, it seems that Uber is too big to regulate it effectively, but too big to fail.”