Uber’s license to operate in London won’t be renewed because its practices endanger public safety and security, the local regulator says, in a blow to a company already facing big questions over its corporate culture.
Uber, whose app is used by 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers in London, isn’t “fit and proper” to hold a license to operate a private-hire vehicle service, Transport for London says. Uber was first licensed to operate in London in 2012 and will see its current license expire on Sept. 30. The company says it plans to appeal the regulator’s decision, and can continue to operate until the appeals process is exhausted.
For its part, Uber accuses the city of caving in to special interests “who want to restrict consumer choice.”
Founded in 2010 in San Francisco, Uber—which operates in Baton Rouge and more than 600 cities worldwide—has often faced opposition as it expanded. In its decision, Transport for London singled out Uber’s approach to reporting serious criminal offenses and how it conducts background checks on drivers.
