Uber has successfully appealed against the decision of TfL to refuse its London operating licence.

It is reported that the Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram declared the taxi-hailing firm to be “fit and proper” as he approved the granting of a new licence.

The Standard reported that the Deputy Chief Magistrate said Uber had “plugged the holes” in its IT systems, and he has considered Uber’s “overall track-record of breaches and systems changes” including the impact on public safety.

He continued: “Public confidence in the licensing regime is a clear consideration... Some breaches in themselves are just so serious that their mere occurrence is evidence that the operator is not fit and proper to hold a licence. I do not find this to be one of those cases.”

The judge said the company has taken strides to learn from past mistakes and reduce regulatory breaches to zero, made “clear improvements in communication”, and improved engagement with TfL.

“Despite their historical failings, I find them, now, to be a fit and proper person to hold a London PHV operator’s licence.”  

Source: The Standard

BBC media report

The judgement can be downloaded here.