Uber files appeal against London ban

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

Uber on Oct. 13 filed its appeal against a decision by London authorities not to renew its license, the U.S. ride-hailing company said.

“We have this morning filed our appeal on the London license decision at Westminster Magistrates’ Court,” Uber said in a statement ahead of the Oct. 13 deadline.

London transport authorities last month said they would not renew Uber’s license to operate in the city owing to public safety concerns.

Transport for London (TfL) claims that the conduct of Uber, which has about 40,000 drivers and 3.5 million customers in the British capital, had raised concerns.

“While we have today filed our appeal so that Londoners can continue using our app, we hope to continue having constructive discussions with Transport for London,” Uber added on Oct. 13.     

“As our new CEO (Dara Khosrowshahi) has said, we are determined to make things right.”    

TfL has highlighted the company’s approach to reporting serious criminal offences and to obtaining criminal record checks for drivers as factors in its decision.

The company came under scrutiny in Britain after it emerged that dozens of rape and sexual assault claims had been made against their drivers and when one of their drivers used his vehicle in a recent terror attack on Buckingham Palace.

It also questioned the process through which drivers obtain their medical certificates and the practice of “grey-balling,” when the company uses a fake version of its app to fool regulators in cities in which it is banned.