LONDON – London’s transit authority said Monday it would not renew Uber’s license to operate in the British capital over passenger safety concerns.
Transport for London cited “several breaches that placed passengers and their safety at risk.”
Uber promised to appeal the decision and operate “as normal” in London while the appeal process is underway.
A key issue identified was that a change to the ride-hailing company’s systems allowed unauthorized drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts.
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“This allowed them to pick up passengers as though they were the booked driver, which occurred in at least 14,000 trips, putting passenger safety and security at risk,” the transport authority said in a statement.
This means all the journeys were uninsured and some passenger journeys took place with unlicensed drivers, Transport for London said on Monday.
Another failure allowed dismissed or suspended drivers to create an Uber account and carry passengers. As a result, it has deemed Uber “not fit and proper at this time.”
In an emailed statement to NBC News, Uber called the decision “extraordinary and wrong.”
The company also said that it has audited every driver in London over the last two months and will soon be introducing a new facial matching process for drivers.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted to say that he supports the decision, adding that he welcomes technical innovation in the city, but companies have to “play by the rules” to keep customers safe.
In 2017, the transport authority rejected Uber’s licence renewal request, citing shortcomings in the firm’s approach to reporting serious criminal offenses and driver background checks.
A judge in 2018 then granted Uber a probationary 15-month license after the company made several changes to its business model.
In September, Transport for London gave Uber a two-month extension and imposed further conditions covering ride-sharing, appropriate insurance and driver document checks.
