Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Drivers and passengers react to news that Uber's licence in London will be revoked

Uber will not be issued a new private hire licence, Transport for London (TfL) has said.

TfL concluded the ride-hailing app firm was not fit and proper to hold a London private hire operator licence.

It said it took the decision on the grounds of "public safety and security implications".

Confirming it would appeal against the decision, Uber said it showed the world "far from being open, London is closed to innovative companies".

TfL's concerns include Uber's approach to carrying out background checks on drivers and reporting serious criminal offences.

What does the ruling mean?

Seven things Londoners will miss if Uber goes

Now what next for Uberisation?

Your views: Uber London loses licence

Uber's current licence is due to run until 30 September.

It has 21 days to appeal against TfL's decision and can continue to operate while any appeals are ongoing.

Some 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers use the Uber app in London.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "I fully support TfL's decision - it would be wrong if TfL continued to license Uber if there is any way that this could pose a threat to Londoners' safety and security."

Image copyright PA Image caption Taxi drivers have been campaigning against Uber, such as engaging in this "go slow" protest in 2014

Fred Jones, head of cities for Uber across the UK and Ireland, told the BBC Uber drivers had to pass the same safety checks as black cab and mini cab drivers in London.

There had been growing speculation that the app could be banned from London.

Opponents of the firm claim it causes gridlocked roads and does not do enough to regulate its drivers.

But one driver with Uber in London said: "I don't think it is a fair decision. Uber offers a flexible schedule, and a weekly income."

Uber controversies

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Some 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers use the Uber app in London

Uber's general manager in London Tom Elvidge said: "By wanting to ban our app from the capital, Transport for London and the mayor have caved in to a small number of people who want to restrict consumer choice.

"If this decision stands, it will put more than 40,000 licensed drivers out of work and deprive Londoners of a convenient and affordable form of transport.

"To defend the livelihoods of all those drivers, and the consumer choice of millions of Londoners who use our app, we intend to immediately challenge this in the courts."

He said Uber operated in more than 600 cities around the world, including more than 40 towns and cities in the UK.

Analysis: From BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones

Throughout its short, tempestuous life, Uber has clashed with regulators around the world - and more often than not it has come out on top.

Its tactic has often been to arrive in a city, break a few rules, and then apologise when it's rapped over the knuckles. Some regulators have backed down, others have run the company out of town.

In London, despite protests from angry taxi drivers, the company has had a relatively easy ride until now.

But a wave of bad publicity about its corporate culture, its lax attitude to checks on its drivers and its treatment of this freelance army seems to have spurred TfL into action.

Make no mistake, Uber will use every legal avenue to fight this ban. It will argue that consumers, in the shape of the millions of mainly young Londoners who rely on its service, will be seriously let down if it can no longer operate.

But the courts will have to balance that with the serious concerns about public safety raised by TfL.

On social media, a fierce debate has broken out over the decision.

An online petition launched by Uber urging Sadiq Khan to reverse the decision to strip its London licence has been signed by tens of thousands of people in the space of a few hours.

Twitter user @Gabbysalaza_ said that she was "annoyed" at the decision as Uber allowed to her to get out of "uncomfy" situations if out at night.

Labour MP Wes Streeting, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Taxis, called the decision "courageous" in a tweet.

James Le Lacheur called the decision a "victory" on Twitter.

General secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association Steve McNamara said it was the "right call" not to re-license Uber in London.

"This immoral company has no place on London's street," he said.

Across the world, Uber has been pushed out or denied access by local licensing laws.

Legislators in Darwin, in Australia's Northern Territory, are debating whether to allow Uber to return after a raft of reforms designed to open up the ride-sharing market were announced.

Uber is currently fighting a test case in Denmark after four if its drivers were found to be in violation of the country's laws requiring taxi meters.

'Devastating blow'

David Leam, of London First which campaigns for business in the capital, said London needed to be open to new ideas, business and services.

He said: "This will be seen as a Luddite decision by millions of Londoners and international visitors who use Uber, and will also hit London's reputation as a global tech hub."

James Farrar, chairman of the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain's United Private Hire Drivers branch, said it was a "devastating blow" for the drivers who now face losing their jobs.

"To strip Uber of its licence after five years of laissez-faire regulation is a testament to a systemic failure at TfL," he said.</s>Transport for London has announced it will not be renewing Ubers license to operate as a private hire operator from 1 October. Around 40,000 Uber drivers currently operate in London, and the service is used by 3.5 million customers each week.</s>Starting from the end of this month Londoners and visitors to the city will have to find a new way to get around the British capital. Uber, the globally ubiquitous ride-sharing app, will not be licensed to operate once its current license expires on 30 September. The company now has 21 days to appeal the ruling.

Transport for London, the government authority that regulates all transportation in Greater London, ruled that Uber did not meet its standards to hold a private hire operator license. The two main reasons TfL gave were that Uber’s did not take adequate steps to ensure passenger safety by not reporting serious criminal offences committed in its cabs and that the company allegedly used a software called Greyball to blocked regulatory bodies and law enforcement from fully accessing the app when investigating infractions.

According to Uber, 3.5million Londoners rely on some 40,000 licensed drivers who ply the streets of the city. The debate for and against the app, much like in many other cities around the world, has raged for a while as London’s black cab drivers have complained that their Uber counterparts do not have to meet the same high standards they have to in order to get a license to drive. Black cab drivers in London have to pass some of the most stringent series of tests known as ‘The Knowledge’ to become qualified. This requires them to be able to navigate the city without looking at a map or using sat-nav; the latter is a technology Uber drivers rely on heavily.

Uber will contest the move and will be able to continue operating during the appeals process. UberEats food delivery service will continue to operate because it does not require a private hire license to operate.</s>London’s transport authority has rejected Uber’s application to renew its license to operate private-hire vehicles in the British capital, it announced today. The ride-sharing firm has 40,000 drivers in the city, whose licenses will expire on Sept. 30. They will, however, be allowed to operate until all appeal processes have been exhausted. Uber has until Oct. 13 to appeal the decision.

Uber’s general manager in London, Tom Elvidge, said in a statement that its 3.5 million users in the city will be “astounded” by this decision. The company pledged to challenge the decision in court immediately. “If this decision stands, it will put more than 40,000 licensed drivers out of work and deprive Londoners of a convenient and affordable form of transport,” Elvidge said.

The rejection is a major blow to Uber because London is its biggest European market. The ride-sharing platform is currently operating under a four-month extension to its license, following a hike in fees from £3,000 for a five-year license to £3 million (from $4,000 to $4 million).

Transport for London said Uber’s failure to report “serious criminal offences” by its drivers and its use of the “Greyball” surveillance program, which tracked government officials hostile to the service, were among the reasons it rejected Uber’s license application. Uber’s drivers have been accused of dozens of sexual assaults.

London mayor Sadiq Khan supported the transport authority’s decision, saying that innovation must not come at the expense of customer safety.

Uber has been under pressure from politicians, led by Wes Streeting, a member of parliament who chairs a cross-party parliamentary group on taxis. Last week, the group had urged Transport for London to revoke Uber’s license. Streeting called today’s decision “courageous.”</s>Uber will not be issued with an operating licence after its current deal expires on September 30, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.

TfL concluded that the minicab app is "not fit and proper" to operate in the capital due to concerns which have "public safety and security implications".

These include its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and how it carries out background checks on its drivers.

Uber was given just a four-month temporary licence in May.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said in a statement: "I want London to be at the forefront of innovation and new technology and to be a natural home for exciting new companies that help Londoners by providing a better and more affordable service.

"However, all companies in London must play by the rules and adhere to the high standards we expect - particularly when it comes to the safety of customers. Providing an innovative service must not be at the expense of customer safety and security.

"I fully support TfL's decision - it would be wrong if TfL continued to license Uber if there is any way that this could pose a threat to Londoners' safety and security.

"Any operator of private hire services in London needs to play by the rules."

Labour MP Wes Streeting, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Taxis, said: "This is a courageous decision by the Mayor and Transport for London, finally drawing a line in the sand to make it clear that no company, however big and powerful, will be allowed to flout our laws and regulations or jeopardise Londoners' safety without facing serious consequences.

"Uber has not shown itself to be a fit and proper operator. It stands accused by the police of failing to properly handle serious allegations of rape and sexual assault of passengers.

"It had to be dragged through the courts to recognise its responsibility to provide even the most basic rights and protections to Uber drivers. Its business model is based on saturating London's taxi and private hire market to drive its competition off the road.

"That's why major cities across North America and Europe have already banned Uber from operating on their roads."

There had been growing speculation that the app could be banned from London.

Opponents of the firm claim it causes gridlocked roads and does not do enough to regulate its drivers.

Uber enables users to book cars using their smartphones, and is available in cities across the UK.

Some 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers use the Uber app in London.

Last month Uber was accused by police of allowing a driver who sexually assaulted a passenger to strike again by not reporting the attack, along with other serious crimes.

In a strongly worded letter, Inspector Neil Billany of the Metropolitan Police's taxi and private hire team suggested the company was putting concerns for its reputation over public safety.

He cited the case of a man who worked for Uber being allowed to stay on the books despite an allegation of sexual assault, leading to another "more serious" attack on a woman in his car.

A string of serious crimes it allegedly failed to report included more sexual assaults and an incident in which a driver produced what was thought to be pepper spray during a road-rage argument.

Uber said at the time it was "surprised by this letter" and claimed it does not reflect the "good working relationship we have with the police".

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association said: "The Mayor has made the right call not to relicense Uber. Since it first came onto our streets Uber has broken the law, exploited its drivers and refused to take responsibility for the safety of passengers.

"We expect Uber will again embark on a spurious legal challenge against the Mayor and TfL, and we will urge the court to uphold this decision. This immoral company has no place on London's streets."

Maria Ludkin, legal director of the GMB union, which took Uber to an employment tribunal last year over workers' rights, said: "This historic decision is a victory for GMB's campaign to ensure drivers are given the rights they are entitled to - and that the public, drivers and passengers are kept safe.

"As a result of sustained pressure from drivers and the public, Uber has suffered yet another defeat - losing its license to operate in London.

"It's about time the company faced up to the huge consequences of GMB's landmark employment tribunal victory - and changed its ways.

"No company can be behave like it's above the law, and that includes Uber. No doubt other major cities will be looking at this decision and considering Uber's future on their own streets."

And Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: "Uber has consistently failed to reach acceptable standards of service, safety and security and we applaud this decision which is a victory for passengers and also a vital step in protecting the livelihoods of the skilled and experienced London taxi drivers who are being unfairly undercut by Uber.

"This is a success for our campaigning and all those who work in the trade and must be a stepping stone to end the deregulation in the industry which has created such chaotic, unsafe and exploitative conditions.

"The next steps should include the introduction of a statutory definition of plying for hire and also for MPs to get behind the Private Members Bill put forward by Daniel Zeichner MP to reform the taxi and private hire industry."</s>The subsidiary responsible for the ride-hailing app Uber has been told it isn't considered "fit and proper" so won't have its license renewed on 30 September.

While Uber London Limited can appeal the decision, if the ban goes ahead it will be one of the biggest blows to date for the global technology company, which in spite of its immense success has stood accused in recent years of poor work culture and ethics.

Transport for London released the public statement on Friday 22 September stating it has informed the London based company branch, "it will not be issued with a private hire operator licence after expiry of its current licence".

That means in a little over a week, Uber won't be permitted to operate within Greater London.

Uber first made waves in the commuting world after launching in San Francisco in 2011. Since then it has gone international, operating in more than 630 cities worldwide.

In principle, the company is little more than a digital application that connects independent drivers with clients while taking care of the transaction, slicing a profit for itself.

While it seems simple, the service blurs the lines between traditional roles of independent contractor, employee, and job agency.

Uber is far from alone in this shake-up, but it does stand out for its success in what is now referred to as a 'gig' economy – individuals using technology to facilitate paid tasks.

Last year the UK courts ruled that Uber drivers should be considered employees, forming a landmark decision that could have implications for other gig economy services.

As employees in various parts of the world, Uber would need to view drivers less as clients who use their app and more as workers with rights to various benefits.

In less of a philosophical debate, Uber has also stood accused of tolerating a sexist workplace culture, leading to an internal probe that resulted in multiple terminations.

London isn't the first to ban Uber, which has challenged legislation and competition that has traditionally been the realm of taxis in many parts of the world.

But it is a major city, and the loss will not only affect the 40,000 drivers who use the service, not to mention those who have come to rely on them, it will almost certainly have wider reaching implications in other cities and for similar app-based services.

In this case, Transport for London has explicitly blamed Uber's corporate conduct, detailing "a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications."

London is famous not only for its iconic black cabs, but its licensed 'mini-cab' operators who drive private vehicles for hire.

Uber was given a five year license to operate under London's Private Hire Vehicle's Act, which will now expire without being reissued.

Of course, Uber isn't going to slink off quietly.

"Transport for London and the Mayor have caved in to a small number of people who want to restrict consumer choice," Uber London General Manager Tom Elvidge has said in a statement.

"We intend to immediately challenge this in the courts."

The company's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi had this to say on Twitter;

Whatever the outcome, technology that facilitates gig-economics will continue to be a boon and a bust for communities, providing new opportunities for some while forcing legislators to consider how to protect those who could suffer its impact.

Even were the giant Uber should fall as a company, technology that exploits new economics are here to stay.</s>Uber will not be issued a new private hire licence, Transport for London (TfL) has said.

TfL has concluded the ride-hailing app firm was not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator licence.

Uber’s conduct demonstrated a lack of corporate responsibility which could have potential public safety and security implications, it said.

Uber said the decision would “show the world that, far from being open, London is closed to innovative companies”.

Uber has 21 days to appeal, during which it can continue to operate.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said in a statement: “I fully support TfL’s decision – it would be wrong if TfL continued to license Uber if there is any way that this could pose a threat to Londoners’ safety and security.”

General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association Steve McNamara: “The mayor has made the right call not to relicense Uber.”

“We expect Uber will again embark on a spurious legal challenge against the mayor and TfL, and we will urge the court to uphold this decision. This immoral company has no place on London’s streets”.</s>Uber to lose its license to operate in London

LONDON (AP) — London's transport authority said Friday it won't renew Uber's license to operate in the British capital, arguing that it demonstrates a lack of corporate responsibility with implications in public safety and security.

Transport for London says the car-hailing app was not "fit and proper to hold a private hire operator license."

Uber, whose app is used by 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers in London, will see its current license expire on Sept. 30.

The company promised it would appeal, and can continue to operate until the appeals process is exhausted.

In its decision , Transport for London cited its approach to handling serious criminal offenses and how it conducts background checks on its drivers. TFL also took issue with software that could be used block regulatory bodies from gaining full access to the app and "preventing officials from undertaking regulator or law enforcement duties."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he supported the decision, saying any operator of taxi services in the city "needs to play by the rules."

"Providing an innovative service must not be at the expense of customer safety and security," he said. "I fully support TFL's decision — it would be wrong if TFL continued to license Uber if there is any way that this could pose a threat to Londoners' safety and security."

Uber shot back quickly in response. In a statement, it said the decision would "show the world that, far from being open, London is closed to innovative companies."

John Colley, a strategy professor at Warwick Business School, said poor values ultimately bring companies down. Uber is now effectively banned from France, Spain and Belgium — together with facing litigation and investigation around the world, he said.

"There is a very long list of businesses who have suffered for failing to uphold the level of values necessary," Colley said. "Until Uber gets this message then it will suffer lost trade as a result of its deteriorating reputation."</s>The global cab aggregator Uber lost license to operate in London, reports said. London's transport regulator has rejected Uber's application to renew its license to operate.

The current license expires on 30 September but Uber has 21 days to appeal and can continue to operate until that process expires, reports The Guardian.

Transport for London said that it had rejected the US cab hailing app's application to renew its license because "Uber's approach and conduct demonstrate a lack of corporate responsibility" in relation to reporting serious criminal offenses, obtaining medical certificates and other issues.

Uber Technologies Inc. is an American technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, operating in 633 cities worldwide. It develops, markets and operates the Uber car transportation and food delivery mobile apps. Uber drivers use their own cars although drivers can rent a car to drive with Uber.</s>LONDON — London’s transportation agency dealt a huge blow to Uber on Friday, deciding not to renew the ride-hailing service’s license to operate in the British capital.

“Uber’s approach and conduct demonstrate a lack of corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications,” the agency, Transport for London, said in a statement.

Among the issues it raised: how Uber deals with serious criminal offenses and its explanation for its use of a software program called Greyball that “could be used to block regulatory bodies from gaining full access to the app.”

The agency said it had concluded that the company was “not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator license.”

The decision can be appealed and Uber can continue to operate in London throughout the appeals process, a spokeswoman for Transport for London said.
Transport for London announces that it will not issue Uber a new private hire license.