Uber has secured a 30-month – or two-and-a-half year – license to keep its ridesharing services running in London, according to a BBC report. This marks the end of a lengthy dispute with the city’s transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), over Uber’s safety protocols.
We are happy to inform you @TfL has granted Uber a new 30-month license in London. TfL rightly holds our industry to the highest regulatory and safety standards and we are delighted to have met their high bar.
— Uber UK (@UberUK) March 26, 2022
“We are pleased to announce that @TfL has granted Uber a new 30 month license in London,” Uber announced in a tweet Saturday morning. “TfL rightly holds our industry to the highest regulatory and safety standards and we are delighted to have met their high bar.”
Uber first lost its license to operate in London in 2017 after TfL accused the company of demonstrating “a lack of corporate responsibility” with potential “public safety implications”. It pointed to the company’s shortcomings in reporting crimes, issuing background checks to drivers, obtaining medical certificates, and also raised Uber’s alleged use of Greyball, software that hid the ride-hailing service from regulators.
The company later won a 15-month court appeal, only to have its license revoked again in 2019 after TfL said the company was still not “fit and appropriate” to operate in the city. In 2020, a judge granted Uber an 18-month license to operate in London, despite the company’s “historical flaws.” Over the years, Uber has added a number of safety features, including an in-app panic button, a way for drivers to report their drivers for unsafe behavior, and the ability for drivers and passengers to record audio while driving.
Last year, Uber lost a lawsuit in the UK over the employment status of its drivers, demanding the company classify its UK-based drivers as employees and grant them minimum wages, paid holidays and other benefits.
“As we continue to serve London, we remain focused on raising industry standards across the board,” Added Uber. “This includes giving drivers the benefits and protections they deserve, ensuring all Londoners can move safely, and becoming an all-electric platform by 2025.”