Uber loses its London license as regulator cites a ‘pattern of failures’
London’s carry governor, Carry for London (TfL), has refused to grant Uber a novel license inward issues metropolis. TfL had been extending Uber’s license to incise inward London inward current months, after issues trip communion firm lost its license in 2017. TfL earlier revoked Uber’s license citing Uber’s strategy to upon prison offences, checkup certificates, revelation and blackball checks, and issues firm’s work of its Greyball package that TfL stated plugged regulative our bodies from gaining total entry to Uber’s app for constabulary enforcement duties.
TfL now says it has recognized a “sample of failures” past Uber, together with breaches that located passengers astatine danger. “Scorn addressing a few of these points, TfL does non have got reliance that related points testament non reoccur inward issues hereafter, which has led it to reason that issues firm is non match and suitable astatine this sentence,” says a TfL spokesperson. Leak specific number that was recognized was a modify inward Uber’s scheme that “allowed unauthorized drivers to add their images to different Uber driver accounts.”
This enabled different Uber drivers to choose upwardly passengers equally in the event that they had been engaged with issues pilot driver, and TfL says this occurred throughout astatine to the lowest degree 14,000 journeys. “This way all issues journeys had been uninsured and a few rider journeys took location with unaccredited drivers, leak of which had antecedently had their certify revoked past TfL,” says a TfL spokesperson. An analogous number allowed abeyant drivers to produce an Uber business relationship and take passengers along journeys.
My assertion along TfL's Uber conclusion. pic.twitter.com/uMDjoIlqOW
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) November 25, 2019
London’s mayor, Sadiq Caravansary, too backed TfL’s conclusion now. “I sociality this conclusion whitethorn live unpopular with Uber customers just their security is issues paramount concern,” stated Caravansary inward a statement on Twitter. “Laws ar marche to maintain Londoners convoy, and full yielding with TfL’s strict requirements is crucial if secret rent operators compass a license to incise inward London.”
TfL is at present revoking Uber’s license inward London, and issues solid testament have got 21 years to enchantment issues conclusion. Practically lips finally sentence, Uber testament live capable to last to incise inward issues metropolis passim issues enchantment, which testament contain issues trip communion firm interesting to a magistrates courtroom to display its app is convoy for passengers. “In the event that they do enchantment, Uber tin last to incise and we testament tight audit issues firm to make sure issues direction has rich controls inward location to make sure security is non compromised throughout whatever modifications to issues app,” explains a TfL spokesperson.
Uber previously won an enchantment to last working inward London, and was given a probationary 15-month license finally solar year. This license expired inward Sept, and TfL provisionally a two-month extension till now. Uber is provision to enchantment this last ban. “TfL’s conclusion non to with Uber’s certify inward London is extraordinary and pinches,” says Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional overall handler for Northerly & Easterly Eu. “We have got essentially modified our enterprise across issues finally ii days and ar scope issues criterion along security. TfL discovered usa to live a match and suitable hustler simply ii months agone, and we last to go supra and past.”
Replace Nov 25thorium, 5:50AM ET: Story up to date with remark from Uber.