THIS WEEK: Uber’s operational license in London at stake

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As Ugandans continue to use Uber as one means of transport, their counterparts in London, UK where the transport mode is popular are not sure of whether the service will be available in the near future.

On Sept. 22, BBC reported that Uber would not be issued a new private hire licence after the Transport for London (TfL) accused the company of not being fit and proper to hold a London private hire operator licence on the grounds of “public safety and security implications.”

TfL’s concerns, according to BBC include Uber’s approach to carrying out background checks on drivers and reporting serious criminal offences.

Uber’s current licence would run until Sept. 30. It had 21 days to appeal against TfL’s decision and can continue to operate while any appeals were ongoing. Uber’s general manager in London Tom Elvidge said they would defend the livelihoods of all those drivers, and the consumer choice of millions of Londoners who use their app in courts of law.

According to BBC some 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers use the Uber app in London.  It operates in more than 600 cities around the world, including more than 40 towns and cities in the UK.