TfL ‘actively considering’ banning Uber from London
Uber could be on the verge of a complete ban in the capital, with rumours swirling that Transport for London (TfL) may not renew its licence today.
Uber’s operating licence runs out on Tuesday at midnight, after TfL only granted the ride-hailing app a two-month probationary extension in September.
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A senior Uber employee recently told City PM the company was “confident” of getting a licence extension, however a TfL source said this may not eventuate.
The source told Sky News that the transport body is “actively considering” the “nuclear option” of banning Uber for failing to show it had done enough to improve passenger safety.
They added there was “zero chance” Uber would be granted a long-term licence due to the frantic nature of discussions.
That was reiterated by LBC this morning. Political editor Theo Usherwood tweeted that TfL will not grant Uber a new operating licence for the capital when it makes its decision.
“Understand from multiple sources Uber will not be granted an operator’s licence later this morning by the regulator Transport for London,” Usherwood said.
“Obviously, this won’t mean there are no Ubers from tomorrow morning. They will inevitably appeal the decision and Uber will continue to operate during that appeal process.”
Fiona Cincotta, a market analyst at City Index, warned such a ban would dent Uber’s share price with strong competition in London.
“If they did lose the appeal… that would have a pretty serious impact on the share price,” she told the BBC’s Today programme.
“Here in London, there would be competition that would fill that void quite quickly.”
A TfL spokesperson said a decision would be made on a potential licence extension later today.
“TfL is considering Uber’s application and no decision has been made,” they said.
It comes just days after reports that TfL may force the Silicon Valley giant to provide scans of drivers’ fingerprints or faces.
A document circulated around the mayor of London’s office reportedly says this implementation of biometric checks could be a part of any licence requirement, according to Wired.
TfL already placed several new requirements on Uber when it granted the two-month licence – including more stringent rules on driver and licence checks – after the body said it needed to see more that Uber could “ensure passenger safety”.
At the time, London mayor Sadiq Khan’s spokesperson said: “Sadiq has been crystal clear that in London it doesn’t matter how powerful and how big you are, you must play by the rules.”
Two weeks ago, the company announced it had introduced three new safety measures – making discrimination easier to report, more driver training and new accident reporting systems.
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If TfL fails to renew the company’s licence it would mark the second time Uber has been banned in the capital.
It was banned by TfL in 2017, before a court appeal allowed the app to continue to operate for a further 15 months.
Around 45,000 Uber drivers operate in London.