Uber granted a 30-month license to continue operating in London

Uber has secured a 30-month — or two-and-a-half-year — license to maintain its ridesharing companies up and working in London, in response to a report from the BBC. This marks the shut of a prolonged battle with town’s transportation company, Transport for London (TfL), over Uber’s security protocols.

“We’re delighted to announce @TfL has granted Uber a brand new 30 month licence in London,” Uber announced in a tweet on Saturday morning. “TfL rightly holds our business to the very best regulatory and security requirements and we’re happy to have met their excessive bar.”

Uber first misplaced its license to function in London in 2017 after TfL accused the corporate of demonstrating “an absence of company duty” with potential “public security and safety implications.” It cited the corporate’s shortcomings when it got here to reporting prison offenses, issuing driver background checks, acquiring medical certificates, and likewise introduced up Uber’s alleged use of Greyball, a software program that hid the ride-hailing service from regulators.

The corporate later gained a 15-month enchantment in court docket, solely to have its license taken away but once more in 2019 after TfL stated the corporate was nonetheless not “match and correct” to function within the metropolis. In 2020, a choose granted Uber a license to function in London for 18 months regardless of the corporate’s “historic failings.” Through the years, Uber has added quite a lot of security options, together with an in-app panic button, a means for riders to report their drivers for unsafe conduct, in addition to the flexibility for drivers and riders to document audio throughout journeys.

Final 12 months, Uber misplaced a authorized battle within the UK over its drivers’ employment standing, requiring the corporate to start out classifying its UK-based drivers as staff, granting them minimal wage, paid trip, and different advantages.

“As we proceed to serve London, we stay targeted on elevating business requirements in all areas,” Uber added. “These embody providing drivers the advantages and protections they deserve, guaranteeing all Londoners can get round safely and changing into a completely electrical platform by 2025.”