Peter Summers | beautiful pictures
LONDON – Uber obtained a 30-month license to continue operating in London, ending a lengthy battle with city regulators over whether the ride-hailing app is “appropriate and appropriate”.
“Uber has been granted a license to operate a private rental vehicle in London for a period of two and a half years,” a spokesman for London’s Department of Transport said in a statement on Saturday.
The move ends a years-long dispute with the agency, which has twice revoked Uber’s license in London – once in 2017and a second time in 2019. Authorities are concerned about the company’s ability to keep passengers safe. Uber then won an 18-month license in London in court.
Over the years, Uber has managed to gain traction, adding new safety features to its platform and reaching an agreement with the UK’s GMB to officially recognize the labor union for hire drivers. private.
The company reclassified all UK drivers as workers last year after the country’s highest court ruled that a group of drivers should be treated like workers rather than operators. independent contractors, allowing them to enjoy job protections such as minimum wage, holiday pay and pensions.
“TfL adheres to the highest regulatory and safety standards and we are delighted to have met their high demands,” said Jamie Heywood, general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe at Uber.
The decision removes a key cause of uncertainty for Uber in the UK – London is its biggest European market – and comes as the company is dealing with rising inflation amid a global recession. The dual challenge is labor shortage and rising energy prices. Uber increased fares in London by 10% in November.
