Uber granted two-and-a-half year licence to operate in London

Uber has been granted a two-and-a-half year licence to operate private hire vehicles in London.

The ride-hailing firm was previously denied a licence by Transport for London in November 2019.

But in September 2020, a judge upheld Uber's appeal against the decision and granted it an 18-month licence.

Uber said it was "delighted" to be able to continue operating in the city and that it was "pleased" to have met Transport for London's standards.

At the court hearing in 2020, deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram said he had taken Uber's "track record of regulation breaches" into account but recognised the company had made efforts to address failings and had improved standards.

A spokeswoman for Transport for London (TfL) said: "Uber has been granted a London private hire vehicle operator's licence for a period of two-and-a-half years."

On Twitter, Uber said: "We're delighted to announce TfL has granted Uber a new 30 month licence in London.

"TfL rightly holds our industry to the highest regulatory and safety standards and we are pleased to have met their high bar.

"As we continue to serve London, we remain focused on raising industry standards in all areas.

"These include offering drivers the benefits and protections they deserve, ensuring all Londoners can get around safely and becoming a fully electric platform by 2025."

In February 2021, the UK's Supreme Court ruled Uber drivers must be treated as workers rather than self-employed.

The decision meant drivers could be entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay.

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