Uber in a last-ditch effort to regain its operating license in London has launched an appeal against the Transport of London's decision that could halt the ride-hailing company's operations in UK's capital over safety concerns. The company was denied a new operating license by the Transport of London last month.
Uber filed the appeal at Westminster Magistrates' Court which can now potentially make it a lengthy legal process for the ride-hailing company to start operations in one of its most important markets. However, drivers can continue to drive and take rides in London till the appeal process is exhausted.
Not the first time for Uber
The Transport of London last month declined Uber's request for a new London license citing reasons of multiple breaches that put riders and their safety at risk. The company had earlier in 2017 faced similar issues when it was denied license by the Transport of London. However, at that time, its license was restored by a judge on a probationary basis.
Since then Uber has been operating in London. The company said that it has changed its business model in the last two years and is committed towards the safety and security of it riders. "We are committed to Londoners and are working closely with TfL to address their concerns and requests, as we have since 2017," said the firm's Northern and Eastern Europe boss Jamie Heywood.
London and important market
London is an important market for Uber given that parking personal cars in the city has always been a challenge for car owners. This saw many availing ride-hailing services like Uber. London has been a lucrative market for Uber since then.
However, now that Uber has appealed again the Transport of London's decision, the case will rest with a magistrate. This may only delay things. The Transport of London last month said that many unauthorized drivers were able to upload their photographs to other Uber accounts, which saw at least on 1,400 cases a driver other than the one authorized picking up passengers.
Uber in crisis
Uber and other ride-hailing services like Lyft have lately come under the scanner of regulators on concerns of customer safety and security. Last week Uber in a wide-reaching safety report revealed that it received 3,045 reports of sexual and physical assault during rides in the past two years in the United States.
Uber has around 45,000 drivers in London. They will however be able to continue driving and taking rides till the appeal process comes to an end. This legal process could take even year, so it may not immediately affect the drivers in London immediately.
