Uber's London licence extended by two and a half years

The ride-hailing app says its drivers will be treated as workers

The decision gives Uber some stability in the UK capital after several years of regulatory headaches. Reuters

Uber has won permission to operate in London for a further 30 months after meeting requirements on drivers’ rights.

Transport for London said on Saturday that Uber will continue to run in the city under a private hire vehicle operator’s licence.

The ride-hailing app said its drivers will be treated as workers, meaning they will be granted paid time off, rest breaks, and a minimum wage.

“TfL rightly holds our industry to the highest regulatory and safety standards, and we are pleased to have met their high bar,” said Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe.

The decision gives Uber some stability in the UK capital after several years of regulatory problems.

In 2017 and again in 2019, TfL concluded that Uber was not “fit and proper” to hold a licence because of safety concerns about its drivers.

Uber lost a legal fight last year over whether its drivers should be re-classified as workers, forcing the company and its rivals to overhaul their business models.

UK judges also ruled last year that the company should enter a direct contract with passengers and assume more responsibility for each trip booked on their app.

The company made the change this month, meaning that sales tax is now incurred on journeys.