Uber rival Ola announces London launch
Ride-hailing app Ola has fired the starting gun in the race to recruit Uber drivers and customers, announcing it will soon launch in London.
The Indian ride-hailing app today announced it had begun on-boarding drivers in London and would launch in the coming weeks.
Read more: TfL bans Uber from London after a ‘pattern of failures’
The company had an apparent jab at Uber, saying the launch meant “50,000 licensed drivers will now be assured that they can continue to provide mobility services in London”.
The announcement comes just one day after Transport for London (TfL) refused to grant Uber a new operating licence for a “pattern of failures” around passenger safety.
The regulator said it was not confident the app had a “robust system for protecting passenger safety”, after it found unlicensed and uninsured drivers using the platform.
The Silicon Valley giant will appeal the decision and can continue to operate in the capital during this process.
Ola launched in the UK in Cardiff last year and now has drivers in Birmingham, Liverpool, Exeter, Reading, Bristol, Bath, Coventry and Warwick.
TfL awarded a licence to the app in July.
Simon Smith, Head of International, Ola said: “We have built a robust mobility platform for London which is fully compliant with TfL’s high standards.
“We have had constructive conversations with the authorities, drivers, and local communities in London over the past months, and look forward to contributing towards solving mobility issues in innovative and meaningful ways.”
An Uber spokesperson said it would continue to support its drivers.
“Drivers are at the heart of our service and thousands of people come into work at Uber every day focused on how to make their experience better, on and off the road,” they said.
“Whether it’s being able to study for undergraduate degrees with Uber Pro or stronger insurance protections, we’ll continue working to improve the experience for and with drivers.”
Read more: Uber rival Bolt sect to secure $100m in new funding
Ola’s launch announcement comes as it was revealed that competing ride-hailing app Bolt is just weeks away from securing $100m (£78m) in new funding.
Sources said the Estonian company would cement itself as a $1bn unicorn company with the new funding, according to Sky News.