British regulator axes Uber's London license

By Ilker Girit

ISTANBUL

Uber -- the smartphone-based taxi app -- had its license to operate in London stripped away by British transportation regulators on Friday.

Transport for London (TfL) which regulates transportation in the U.K. capital, said in a statement that Uber was not "fit and proper to hold a license".

TfL said it wanted to ensure the safety of passengers and claimed Uber had demonstrated "a lack of corporate responsibility" on security issues.

Uber is a smartphone application that connects drivers directly to passengers in a particular area. It has proved controversial, with claims drivers’ criminal backgrounds were not being properly vetted.

Founded in March 2009 in San Francisco, California, Uber had a yearly revenue of about $6.5 billion in 2016.

The company is set to appeal the TfL decision, and will continue operating in London while the legal case is heard in the U.K. courts.

By Ilker Girit

ISTANBUL

Uber -- the smartphone-based taxi app -- had its license to operate in London stripped away by British transportation regulators on Friday.

Transport for London (TfL) which regulates transportation in the U.K. capital, said in a statement that Uber was not "fit and proper to hold a license".

TfL said it wanted to ensure the safety of passengers and claimed Uber had demonstrated "a lack of corporate responsibility" on security issues.

Founded in March 2009 in San Francisco, California, Uber had a yearly revenue of about $6.5 billion in 2016.

The company is set to appeal the TfL decision, and will continue operating in London while the legal case is heard in the U.K. courts.