Skip to main content

Transport for London rejects Uber operation license

Transport for London (TfL) has rejected Uber London’s application for a new private hire operator license. The move follows a review and a joint petition between global consumer group SumOfUs and GMB union. TfL concluded that Uber is not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator license and shows a lack of responsibility in conduct.
September 22, 2017 Read time: 1 min

1466 Transport for London (TfL) has rejected 8336 Uber London’s application for a new private hire operator license. The move follows a review and a joint petition between global consumer group SumOfUs and GMB union.

TfL concluded that Uber is not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator license and shows a lack of responsibility in conduct. The main issues include potential public safety and security implications such as the company’s procedures for reporting serious criminal offences, how medical certificates are obtained and its approach to enhanced disclosure and barring service checks.

The 106,000-signature petition called for TfL to guarantee drivers’ rights and to protect the public from unsafe working practices. Uber is likely to appeal the decision and  can continue to operate until any appeal processes have been exhausted.

Related Content

  • February 14, 2019
    Ride-hailing and taxi drivers could face tougher criminal checks in England
    Drivers who ply their trade on apps such as Uber could be under greater scrutiny as part of proposals being put forward by the UK government. The potential risk to passengers from the explosion of ride-hailing apps, as private-hire drivers are perceived to receive less thorough vetting – for example, to flag up past convictions – has long been argued. Incidents such as the murders of passengers by a Didi driver in China heightened such concerns - although critics point out that a US Uber driver who ad
  • September 2, 2016
    Uber wins right to challenge TfL’s English language requirement
    Uber has won the right to challenge a Transport for London (TfL) rule which would require some of its drivers to pass an English language test. Announced by TfL last year and due to take effect from 1 October, the rule would mean that drivers who are not from English-speaking countries would have to take an English reading, writing and listening test, which TfL said was ‘in the interests of public safety’. Uber had previously supported the test, but now argues it is too rigorous and costly.
  • July 14, 2017
    Parliamentary group wants Mayors to have the power to curb private hire vehicles
    In its report published this week, the UK Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Taxis calls on the Government to give the Mayor of London, and other Mayors, the power to cap the number of private hire vehicles (PHVs) on London’s streets, stop cross border hiring and set out a robust set of minimum licensing standards for taxis and PHVs across the country.
  • October 29, 2018
    UK Uber drivers owed £18,000 each since court ruling, says GMB
    The row about the employment status of Uber drivers has flared up again, as a trade union alleges that each UK driver is owed approximately £18,000. This follows a refusal from the company to accept a two-year old court ruling, says the GMB, the union which looks after the interests of professional drivers. The Central London Employment Tribunal ruled in 2016 that Uber drivers are entitled to holiday pay, a guaranteed minimum wage and rest bre