San Francisco: Ride-hailing company Uber has secured a 30-month license to continue operating in London, ending a protracted battle with city regulators over whether the ride-hailing app was “fit and proper”.
“Uber has been granted a London private hire vehicle operator’s license for a period of two and a half years,” a Transport for London spokesperson said was quoted as saying in a statement by Engadget.
The move ends a years-long spat with the agency, which twice revoked Uber’s London license — once in 2017, and a second time in 2019.
Authorities were concerned about the company’s ability to keep passengers safe. Uber subsequently won an 18-month London permit in court, the report said.
Uber has sought to turn on the charm over the years, adding new safety features to its platform and striking a deal with Britain’s GMB to formally recognise the labour union for its private hire drivers.
The company reclassified all its UK drivers as workers last year after the country’s top court ruled a group of drivers should be treated as workers instead of independent contractors, entitling them to employment protections like a minimum wage, holiday pay and pensions.
