Today TFL announced that they have decided not to renew Uber’s license to operate in London. Uber came under attack for not being able to provide safety to their 3.5m customers. A major cause for concern for us girls getting around the city at night.
What TFL have said,
TFL initially threatened to revoke their licence back in 2017 as they felt Uber were not fit to offer their service to customers in London. Uber were granted extensions to their licence so that they could show that they had put in measures to protect people’s safety.e
TFL said it had decided not to renew the company’s licence following “several breaches that placed passengers and their safety at risk”.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor London put in a statement that some of these journeys were undertaken by unlicensed drivers, including one person whose licence had been previously revoked by TfL, while another failure allowed “dismissed or suspended drivers to create an Uber account and carry passengers”.
Uber’s response:
While acknowledging that Uber had addressed “some of these issues,”. TfL said it did not have confidence that similar issues will not reoccur in the future, and said the company is “not fit and proper at this time”.
Uber sent out an announcement this morning to say that they were going to appeal the decision and the app would be operable until then.
“Over the last two years we have fundamentally changed our business, and TfL found us to be a fit and proper operator just two months ago.
We remain 100% committed to your safety. You can learn more about the changes we have made here.”
Uber safety measures:
Today Uber sent out a reassuring email acknowledging what had happened. Also linking through to a page which displayed their commitments to providing safety to their customers.
Emergency assistance
You can call local emergency services from the app.
24/7 Customer Support
You can access support through the app 24/7.
Share your trip
You can choose Trusted Contacts within the app and set reminders to share details of your trip with them.
Driver Profile
You can see who is picking you up with their rating and comments.
Drivers according to Uber must now complete a criminal background screening process before they can accept rides through the app.
So what now?
I take a taxi if I am going home late after drinks in central London. I have unfortunately been mugged a number of times when by myself. So my personal safety is key. When going out, I add this to my overall budget for the night out. If you are going out for a corporate work event. You should also be able to expense a taxi home, although it’s best to get permission first.
Kapten – an Uber alternative
I recently couldn’t get a cheap Uber home so my friend recommended kapten. It’s very similar to Uber, with a Loyalty Points system built within the app. The more your ride, the more points you gain. Your point status is renewed each year. The loyalty points are higher depending on how much you progress within their loyalty system, so £1 = 1 Point for Red, £1 = 2 points for Silver, £1 = 4 points for Gold and £1 = 5 points for Platinum. The points can then be converted into free rides.
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