Uber is no longer allowed to operate in London as the Transport for London authority (TFL) announced that it refused to renew the company's licence on Monday due to a "pattern of failures".
On Monday, TfL announced the decision not to renew the licence at the end of a two-month probationary extension that was granted in September. The company has 45,000 drivers and 3.5 million clients in the British capital, making London the largest European market for the American company, reports Het Nieuwsblad.
The authority acknowledged that Uber made welcome changes to the safety of its users during those two months, but said they were insufficient. One of the changes was the ability to contact emergency services directly through the application.
However, Uber is "not fit" to hold a licence in London due to "failures that endanger the safety of its users", including "unauthorised drivers who have exploited the weaknesses of the application to carry thousands of passengers," Transport for London said in a statement.
The ride-hailing service has regularly been accused of safety problems for its users and drivers both, which has contributed to damaging its reputation around the world. Two years ago, TfL also deprived Uber of its licence for similar security reasons, but Uber continued to offer services until it won in the Court of Appeal and were granted a 15-month permit to continue operating.
On Monday, the company immediately announced that it would once again take the decision to the Court of Appeal, adding that it would continue to operate in London until a final decision was rendered, reports The Guardian.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
