London is tired of Uber’s shit – declines to renew its license to operate

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The transport regulator for London has stripped Uber of its operating license, yet again. This time, it’s due to a “pattern of failures,” including breaches and loopholes in its driver verification process that allowed previously banned drivers to sign up again. Yikes.

Uber just lost its license to operate in London, again…

If you think of London, along with the Royal Family, Buckingham Palace, and Big Ben, you might also think of the city’s black cab fleet. It’s hard to get a license, with a grueling knowledge test that essentially puts a GPS into the mind of the cabbies. That whole process is overseen by Transport for London (TfL), who keeps a watchful eye on all cab operators in the city.

via TfL:

A key issue identified was that a change to Uber’s systems allowed unauthorized drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts. This allowed them to pick up passengers as though they were the booked driver, which occurred in at least 14,000 trips – putting passenger safety and security at risk. This means all the journeys were uninsured and some passenger journeys took place with unlicensed drivers, one of which had previously had their license revoked by TfL.

That watchful eye has swung to Uber again, as the ride-sharing company hasn’t done enough to please the strict regulators. Uber’s operating license has been stripped, although it doesn’t mean it has to halt operations just yet. That’s up to a judge to decide, with Uber’s fate hanging in the balance.

• 45,000 people drive for Uber in London alone
• Uber hasn’t tightened up its verification process, allowing previously banned drivers to create new accounts, use the accounts of others, and carry unsuspecting passengers
• Uber’s system lets unverified drivers upload their photos to already-verified accounts
• Over 14,000 trips in London were completed by unverified drivers, making those trips uninsured

Maybe it’s time for Uber to stop trying to act like it doesn’t have a responsibility to both its drivers and passengers? If you’re someone living in London who relies on rideshares, we suggest considering some alternatives. Or you know,  you could always call a cab.

Have any thoughts on this? Do you think Uber deserves a second chance? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Uber is finally lifting the veil on its upcoming on-trip audio recording feature
• Uber has been found at fault for a fatal self-driving car crash – but there’s more to it
• Uber is testing a feature that lets you bring pets along for the ride
• Uber just launched Uber Works – It’s like a temp agency for the gig economy

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.