Ride-hailing company Uber has launched an official appeal against Transport for London’s decision to deny it a licence to operate in the capital.
Uber made headlines last month when TfL announced it found the company’s policies lacking, pointing to “a lack of corporate responsibility” as its reason for refusing to renew the firm’s private hire licence. Uber’s London general manager Tom Elvidge released a statement shortly after saying he was shocked by the decision and would “immediately challenge this in the courts”.
New CEO Dara Khosrowshahi went on to apologise for “mistakes” made by Uber, vowing to work with TfL to fix the situation and ensure Uber could be issued a new licence. Khosrowshahi met with TfL boss Mike Brown on October 2 and a spokesman for the company said the talks were “constructive”.
Uber managed to lodge its appeal just hours before its deadline. A judicial office spokesperson has said a hearing is likely to take place on December 11. Uber can continue to operate in London during the appeal process.
The company is also waiting to hear the result of a UK employment tribunal appeal, which will determine whether Uber’s drivers should be classed as employees or self-employed contractors. The app announced earlier this week that it will introduce new technology that caps its London drivers’ hours to prevent them from overworking themselves.