By Aditi KhannaLondon, Oct 13 (PTI) Uber today moved the court againstthe Transport for London's (TfL) decision not to renew itslicence to operate in the British capital.
The American taxi-hailing company filed an appeal at theWestminster Magistrates' Court here against the ban.
Uber's licence officially expired on September 30 but theservice can remain up and running until the legal process isexhausted, which could mean potentially a year or more.
The company said it will continue its discussions withTfL, which had ruled last month that the company was not "fitand proper" to operate in London on grounds of safety andsecurity.
"While we have today filed our appeal so that Londonerscan continue using our app, we hope to continue havingconstructive discussions with Transport for London. As our newCEO has said, we are determined to make things right," an Uberspokesperson said.
TfL "noted" the appeal but said it would not becommenting before the hearings, which are expected to start inDecember.
A TfL spokesperson said: "We note that Uber has submittedan appeal. No further comment will be made pending the appealhearing."Around 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers use theUber app in London.
Earlier this month, Uber's new chief executive, DaraKhosrowshahi, met Mike Brown, who runs Transport for London.
Uber described those talks as "constructive", while TfLsaid the talks "centred on what needs to happen to ensure athriving taxi and private hire market in London".
He also apologised for the companyÂ’s past actions andpromised to change.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has since indicated that thetransport authority is willing to re-consider if safetyconcerns are addressed.
An online petition calling for the ban to be reversed hasbeen signed by more than 850,000 people.
In making its decision not to renew Uber's licence, TfLhad cited concerns including Uber's approach to reportingcriminal offences, how it conducted medical and criminalchecks on drivers, and whether software employed to evaderegulation was being used in London.
Uber disputed the complaints, saying it had a specialprocedure for dealing with allegations of criminal offences.
Uber has also been criticised over its treatment ofdrivers who are employed by it, and is awaiting a separatetribunal ruling over the employment status of what it terms"partners".
It has been attempting to overturn a judgment thatdrivers – about 40,000 of whom work for Uber in London – haverights to paid holiday and the minimum wage. PTI AK SMJ NSASMJ.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.