Uber Licence News

Uber granted 30-month London license with ‘conditions’ attached

Uber has been granted a further 30-month London private hire vehicle operator’s license, with Transport for London again refusing to issue a full fiveyear license.

As previously, TfL has attached unspecified “conditions” to Uber’s license. Details of the conditions of the license have not been released by TfL. These usually relate to safety concerns and record-keeping, and are not thought to be overly stringent – though the fact that TfL has not issued a full 60-month license does indicate that it still has concerns about Uber.

A Freedom of Information request in 2021 revealed that Uber had 21 conditions attached to its London license, which was subsequently renewed in 2022.

Rivals Bolt and FreeNow had fewer conditions – 15 and 9 respectively. And

now-defunct Ola, which only won its license on appeal, had just seven conditions, though they were believed to be more stringent.

A TfL spokesperson said: “Uber has been granted a London private hire vehicle operator’s license for a period of 30 months, with conditions.”

Uber UK general manager Andrew Brem said in a statement: “Uber is focused on being the best partner

to London and we will continue to keep raising the bar on safety, leading the way in improving working conditions for drivers, and pushing to electrify every car on the Uber platform.”

TfL has twice before withdrawn Uber’s licence to operate in London, in 2017 and 2019, over passenger safety concerns. In both cases, Uber was allowed to continue operating pending appeal. Which were successful in both

cases. After the second appeal, TfL awarded Uber a 30-month license in March 2022.

In 2019, TfL decided Uber did not meet the “fit and proper” requirements for private hire operators. Inspectors discovered that at least 14,000 journeys were undertaken by drivers who effectively faked their identity - using another Uber account after exploiting “vulnerabilities” in the company’s app.

Uber granted Blackpool license despite local objections

Uber has been granted a license to operate in Blackpool despite protests from resort's taxi trade.

Local council licensing officers said the company fulfilled all the criteria for a private hire operator’s license, which will allow local drivers to work under a Blackpool license.

Cllr Paula Burdess, cabinet member for community safety, street scene and neighbourhoods, told a council meeting there was “nothing to call into question the fitness and propriety of the applicant”.

Some Uber drivers had already been working in Blackpool, but were licensed by other local authorities, mainly Wolverhampton. The move means Blackpool Council will be able to monitor and inspect Uber drivers who are licensed with them.

But existing operators are unhappy with the decision. In June drivers from established taxi firms, including C-Cabs, Premier Cabs and Blacktax, joined a town centre protest against the influx of out-of-town drivers.

But Cllr Burdess said: “The issues raised by local taxi drivers about drivers licensed outside of the area could not lawfully be considered in relation to this application. This application was purely about Uber’s suitability to hold an operator’s licence.”

She added: “I know that the arrival of Uber in Blackpool is worrying for the existing taxi trade. Independent retailers and hoteliers have faced the same concerns over the years when national and international companies have started operating here. There is nothing we can do, or should do, to stop businesses coming to Blackpool if they are legally allowed to and are operating within the law.”