UBER PROHIBITED IN LONDON

The London transport authority announced on Monday (November 25th) that it had refused to renew the license to operate the Uber car reservation platform in the British capital. Uber is "not fit" to hold a license in London, said Transport for London (TfL) in a statement, due to failures that endanger passengers.

Security flaws in security

TfL notes a "loophole" in the Uber application that allows drivers without a license to install their photo on the accounts of other drivers, which occurred "at least on 14,000 trips" they months, "endangering the passengers". In the same vein, the TfL argues that another platform failure allows unlicensed or suspended drivers to create active Uber accounts.

"It is unacceptable for Uber to allow passengers to borrow vehicles whose drivers are potentially unlicensed and uninsured," said TfL Director of Licensing and Regulations Helen Chapman.

Guarantees in terms of security

In September, the London Transport Authority renewed Uber's license to practice for only two months, pending further security assurances.

Among the security features launched by Uber, passengers can now directly contact emergency services through the app. "Sensors" are also supposed to detect if a vehicle remains immobilized too long which makes it possible to check whether it has had or not an accident and if necessary to send help.

While TfL acknowledges that Uber has made welcome changes to the safety of its users, these are insufficient, depending on the governance. "TfL is not confident that such problems will no longer arise in the future, leading to the conclusion that the company is not able to function at this time," she said. she detailed.

Uber already pinned in 2017

This is not the first time that the company deprives the US company of its license for security reasons. By 2017 he had already withdrawn the license, but Uber had continued to practice in the British capital before a victory before a court of appeal.

The pioneer of shared-vehicle applications is regularly blamed for safety problems on board for both its users and drivers, which has contributed to its reputation around the world, not to mention the controversies over the insufficient remuneration of its drivers .

"I support TfL's decision on Uber," said London Mayor Sadiq Khan, adding that although the UK capital wants to attract "innovative companies," it is "essential that companies abide by the rules."

London is one of Uber 's largest markets, with 45,000 drivers and 3.5 million customers in the UK capital, generating more than a quarter of its global revenue.