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London, September 22
London’s transport regulator today announced it will not renew Uber's licence, saying the US-based cab aggregator is not "fit and proper" to operate in the city, especially citing the company's approach to reporting serious criminal offences.
The ride-hailing company's licence to operate in the British capital will expire on September 30.
Transport for London (TfL) said it does not believe Uber to be a "fit and proper" operator as a taxi company for the streets of London.
"TfL has concluded that Uber London Limited is not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator licence," TfL said.
"Uber's approach and conduct demonstrate a lack of corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications," the regulator said.
It said it was particularly concerned about Uber's approach to reporting serious criminal offences and its approach to how medical certificates are obtained, among other things.
Meanwhile, the taxi-hailing company said it will challenge the decision, which shows the world that "far from being open, London is closed to innovative companies".
The 3.5 million Londoners who use our app, and more than 40,000 licensed drivers who rely on Uber to make a living, will be "astounded" by this decision, it said.
Under the UK's Private Hire Vehicles Act of 1998, Uber now has 21 days to appeal and can continue to operate until that process expires.
The California-based company, which was founded over eight years ago, has been faced with intense criticism in the UK over claims that it unfairly skews competition and that it has not done enough to crackdown on incidents of violence involving its drivers. PTI
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