Ride-hailing service Uber has been given approval to
continue operating in London after the Westminster
Magistrates' Court declared it ‘fit and proper’ to serve the city.
Transport for London (TfL) rejected an application from Uber
to continue operating in London almost a year ago amid safety concerns, having
first raised concerns in 2017. But deputy
chief magistrate Tan Ikram upheld Uber’s appeal and the company has been
granted an 18-month licence.
One of the primary concerns was
that unauthorised people were able to upload their photos to drivers’ accounts,
allowing them to pick up passengers.
Uber, which has around 45,000 drivers in London, was allowed
to operate in the capital during the appeals process.
“I can assure Londoners that TfL will
continue to closely monitor Uber and will not hesitate to take swift action
should they fail to meet the strict standards required to protect passengers,” said
the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
A statement from Uber said: “There is
nothing more important than the safety of the riders, drivers and the cities we
serve. Over the past four years we have rolled out a number of new in-app
features, strengthening our systems and processes and partnering with safety
organisations on important campaigns.”