Uber won its legal fight to continue operating in London on Monday, as a judge overturned a ban on the ride-hailing app by the city's transport regulator and granted it a new 18-month license.
Last year, Transport for London (TfL) stripped Uber of its license for a second time — it first declined to renew Uber's London license in 2017 — citing a "pattern of failures" that had put passengers at risk.
The watchdog said a glitch in Uber's systems allowed unauthorized drivers to upload their photos to other driver accounts and fraudulently pick up passengers in at least 14,000 journeys.
"Despite their historical failings, I find (Uber), now, to be a fit and proper person to hold a London PHV (private hire vehicle) operator's licence," Ikram said in his judgement.
Uber's new London license will last 18 months and comes with several conditions jointly agreed by Uber and TfL. Uber shares climbed 6% in premarket trading following the decision.
"There is nothing more important than the safety of the people who use the Uber app as we work together to keep London moving.".
"At the same time, we welcome Uber back among 'fit and proper' operators. Regardless of the decision taken in this specific case, we hope the process has sent a clear and impactful message to all operators – that cutting corners and potential endangerment of drivers and passengers will not be tolerated in London.".
UK
Australia
France
Germany
Russia
India
Canada