Uber tops 500,000 signatures on petition to halt London ban

Bloomberg

Uber Technologies Inc. collected more than 500,000 signatures in less than 24 hours on a petition to protest London’s decision to not renew the company’s taxi license, a setback in one of its most lucrative markets.
The campaign on the website Change.org asks London Mayor Sadiq Khan to reverse Transport for London’s decision, and is being promoted on the company’s app in London.
While the ride-hailing app is targeting 1 million supporters, Khan defended
his position that while he supports
innovative businesses, all companies must adhere to high standards of safety and security.
“I have every sympathy with Uber drivers and customers affected by this decision but their anger really should be directed at Uber,” Khan said in a response posted on the website.
“They have let down their drivers and customers by failing, in the view of TfL, to act as a fit and proper operator.”
Uber said 3.5 million Londoners rely on Uber for “a safe, reliable and affordable ride” and that 40,000 drivers depended on the app for their livelihood.
The company said its drivers have been “through the same enhanced background checks as black cab drivers.”
While the petition doesn’t trigger any legal or regulatory process, the San Francisco-based company has a history of successfully using petitions and loyalty of the public to pressure city governments. It succeeded in reversing regulatory
decisions in London and in New York
in 2015.
Uber urged customers to sign the
petition in a tweet posted at 12:41 pm, about two hours after the London agency’s decision.
Uber has 21 days after the Sept. 30 revocation to file an appeal. It can continue the service until the end of the appeals process.

Uber regroups after London taxi setback as Lyft signals interest
Bloomberg

Uber Technologies Inc. is prepared to make concessions to restore its revoked London taxi license, the Sunday Times reported, two days after the ride service said it would fight the suspension
in court.
Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber in London, told the newspaper his company would like to meet to resolve the situation. Rival Lyft Inc., a start-up also based in San Francisco, may be
positioning to benefit from Uber’s demise in the capital after holding
meetings with London transport officials in the past year, the Sunday
Telegraph reported.
Transit agency Transport for London decided Friday to revoke Uber’s license due to failures to do proper background checks on drivers, report crimes and a program called “Greyball” used to avoid regulators. London is one of Uber’s largest and most lucrative markets, with 40,000 drivers and 3.5 million people who use the app once every 90 days.
“We’d like to know what we can do…to sit down and work together to get this right,” Elvidge told the Sunday Times. Uber is ready to make changes on passenger safety and driver benefits, the newspaper reported. Sources close to TfL said the move was encouraging and suggested the possibility of talks.
The comments mark a change of tone from the company. Elvidge said, “We intend to immediately challenge this in the courts.”
Uber and Lyft didn’t immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent outside business hours.
Uber has 21 days after the September 30 revocation to file an appeal. It can continue the service until the end of the appeals process.