Uber to return to London with temporary license after legal battle
FBN's Gerri Willis on Uber's efforts to restore its license in London.
A London court on Tuesday granted Uber a temporary license to operate in the city after a prolonged legal battle over safety concerns.
The firm told Westminster Magistrates' Court it has made significant changes since a regulator refused to renew the company's operating license last year over public safety concerns. The company insists it has changed, and a clean break with the past means it should be granted a new license.
Uber agreed to submit to stricter government oversight of its operations in the city. The ride-sharing service will revamp its leadership arm in London, adopt strict reporting practices for accidents involving its vehicles and appoint an independent review board for the region, the New York Times reported.
However, Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot on Tuesday granted an operating license lasting only 15 months. Taxi licenses in the city are typically awarded for a five-year term.
London regulators formally stripped Uber of its right to operate in the city in September 2017, arguing that the company had demonstrated a “lack of corporate responsibility” and failed to adhere to safety standards, including background checks for its drivers. Officials said Uber’s software did not provide regulators with sufficient access to its app.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.