A court in London ruled this morning that Uber was "no longer a risk" and a year after Transport for London (TfL) refused to renew Uber's license for security reasons, Uber is getting a new one. The exact length of the next Uber license and terms and conditions for it will be determined later. That brings news Passenger Transport Magazine outside today.

Uber is now a 'fit and proper' company to operate rental car services in the British capital, even though the 'black cab' representatives are furious and have a very different opinion. In the legal proceedings, the taxi sector has provided a lot of evidence for the many security flaws in the app.

Deputy Chief Justice Tan Ikram said he was "confident enough that Uber London Ltd no longer poses a risk to public safety despite historical shortcomings" after hearing arguments from the parties three days earlier this month. Uber was allowed to continue driving in London until the appeal against TfL's decision.

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), described the decision in an initial response as “a disaster for London”. 

“Uber has shown time and again that it is simply not reliable to put the safety of Londoners, their drivers and other road users above their profit. Unfortunately, Uber seems too big to regulate effectively, but too big to fail, ”he said Steve McNamara. 

Judge Ikram said Uber has tightened up its screening processes to combat document and insurance fraud and is now "at the forefront of tackling an industry-wide challenge." One of the security issues TfL identified was the discovery that some 14.000 rides with Uber passengers were made by unlicensed drivers who fraudulently logged into the app using someone else's ID.

“We've worked hard over the past few months to address TfL's concerns, implement real-time driver identity checks, and make sure people can travel safely around the city,” said Jamie Heywood, Uber's regional director. the hearing. 

The company argued that it has changed radically in the past three years since TfL first refused a license in September 2017 because it was not “suitable or appropriate” to operate in the capital. On that occasion, it won a provisional extension on appeal, but was again denied a permit last November due to identity issues. The taxi sector expressly doubts Uber's good intentions. Before the trial, McNamara said that "a leopard doesn't lose its spots."

Read also  Taxi drivers come out on top with a multi-million claim against Uber

Also read: Direct train to London from October

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