Last week, news went viral that the Transport for London (TfL) has decided not to renew Uber’s licence to operate in the city. This means that after Uber’s licence expires on 30th September 2017, it would be barred from operating. If this is the case, 40,000 licensed drivers may become jobless according to a tweet by Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of the ride-sharing company.
Dear London: we r far from perfect but we have 40k licensed drivers and 3.5mm Londoners depending on us. Pls work w/us to make things right
— dara khosrowshahi (@dkhos) September 22, 2017
TfL said that Uber was not a “fit and proper” private car-hire operator and cited four areas of concern, including its approach to reporting criminal offences and carrying out background checks on drivers.
Today, Uber CEO, in an open letter admitted that the company got things wrong in a plea. He wrote: “While Uber has revolutionised the way people move in cities around the world, it’s equally true that we’ve got things wrong along the way. On behalf of everyone at Uber globally, I apologise for the mistakes we’ve made.
“We will appeal against the decision on behalf of millions of Londoners, but we do so with the knowledge that we must also change.”
Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan, the London mayor has welcomed Khosrowshahi’s apology saying: “Obviously I am pleased that he has acknowledged the issues that Uber faces in London. Even though there is a legal process in place, I have asked TfL to make themselves available to meet with him.”
