Uber suffers blow as TfL grants it two-month London licence
Transport for London (TfL) has given Uber a two-month licence to continue in London, in a blow to the ride-hailing app which has been on a corporate reform drive.
It is understood that the TfL wants further information from Uber before it will consider granting them a more long-term licence.
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The new two-month licence will have the same conditions that Uber has been subject to over the past 15 months, when a court gave it a probationary licence to continue in the capital after TfL’s decision to take away its licence in 2017.
A TfL spokesperson said: “Uber London Limited has been granted a two-month private hire operator licence to allow for scrutiny of additional information that we are requesting ahead of consideration of any potential further licensing application.”
TfL’s decision will come as a blow to Uber, which applied for a five-year licence and has made a series of changes to its app, including a 24/7 support centre and limits to driver hours, meaning that a licensed driver can only spend 10 hours on a trip with a passenger or on their way to pick up a passenger.
A spokesperson for London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “The decision over Uber’s licence is a matter for TfL, whose chair is the mayor. Sadiq supports the decision of TfL to grant Uber London a two-month licence to give them time to consider additional information that they are requesting from Uber.
“In June 2018 the decision of the court meant that Uber were granted a licence with a clear set of conditions that TfL have been thoroughly monitoring and enforcing. Today additional conditions have also been put in place by TfL to ensure the highest standards around passenger safety.
“Regulations are in place to keep Londoners safe, and fully complying with these strict standards is essential if private hire operators want a licence to operate in London.
“Sadiq has been crystal clear that in London it doesn’t matter how powerful and how big you are, you must play by the rules.”
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Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for northern and eastern Europe, said: “TfL’s recognition of our improved culture and governance reflects the progress we have made in London. We will continue to work closely with TfL and provide any additional requested information.
“Over the past two years, we’ve launched a range of new safety features in the app, introduced better protections for drivers and our Clean Air Plan is helping to tackle air pollution.
“We will keep listening, learning and improving to provide the best service while being a trusted partner to London.”
Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: “Granting Uber a two month temporary licence clearly shows that the firm have failed their probation and are still a huge threat to public safety.
“Over the last 15 months Uber was supposed to change its operations for the better, but the firm has continued to shirk its responsibilities. The granting of the shortest operator’s licence ever shows that the mayor doesn’t trust Uber, and neither should Londoners.”