Uber Just Got Kicked Out of London

City officials blame a "pattern of failures" by Uber.

Shame On Me

Uber has been stripped of its operating license in the city of London — for the second time.

London's transportation bureau, Transport for London, told Gizmodo that it's observed a "pattern of failures" by Uber, and that it can't allow the company to continue operation until it puts better passenger safety protocols in place. It's the second time London has booted Uber over safety concerns, and the yet another stage in an exhausting legal battle between the two.

Unauthorized Drivers

The main issue involves Uber's apparent inability to verify that drivers are who they claim to be. Transport for London told Gizmodo that unauthorized drivers had shuttled thousands of passengers around the city. Some of the drivers had already had their licenses revoked.

"A key issue identified was that a change to Uber's systems allowed unauthorized drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts," the transportation bureau told Gizmodo. "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."

Forever War

Uber, however, doesn't plan on leaving. When London first tried to boot Uber from the city in 2017, the company successfully appealed to extend its stay.

And the past is prelude. Uber told Gizmodo that it plans to do the same this time around and expects to continue with business as usual.

READ MORE: Uber Loses Operating License in London (Again) Over Safety and Security Issues [Gizmodo]

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