Uber’s ban on its licence by London’s transport regulator, Transport for London, (TfL) to operate in the city has been overturned in court.
TfL refused to renew the licence when it ran out last September, saying the ride-hailing firm was not “fit and proper” to operate in the city.
Following a court hearing, the company has been granted a licence but it has been put on probation for 15 months.
Uber had been seeking a five-year licence when it was refused last year.
Following a two-day hearing at Westminister Magistrates’ Court, Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said Uber was now considered “fit and proper”.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “After years of operating poorly in London, Uber has now accepted that TfL’s action in refusing to renew their licence was totally justified. Today our stance has been vindicated by the court.
“Uber has been put on probation – their 15 month licence has a clear set of conditions that TfL will thoroughly monitor and enforce.”
Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber in the UK, said: “We are pleased with today’s decision. We will continue to work with TfL to address their concerns and earn their trust, while providing the best possible service for our customers.”
Disturbing
One of the areas of concern that TfL highlighted last year was about how Uber reported crime.
Uber said that it had made “wholesale” changes to the business since last September.
This includes reporting crimes directly to the police instead of logging criminal complaints with TfL, which caused delays.
During this week’s hearing, Helen Chapman, the licensing, regulation and charging director at TfL, said that Uber’s behaviour over reporting allegations to police was “very disturbing”.
She said: “I think we have had five years of a very difficult relationship where Uber has felt they haven’t required regulation and being operated in the same way as everybody else we regulate.”
Ms Chapman said that the changes implemented by Uber “could, if applied correctly, enhance public safety”.