Uber to begin appeal over London licence ban

Hearing can last several days

Uber is set to appeal at the Westminster Crown Court later today against the Transport for London (TfL) decision stripping it of its licence in London. The hearing is expected to last several days.

The witnesses will also include Uber’s UK Chairman Laurel Powers-Freeling, UK Head of Cities Fred Jones and TfL’s Interim Director of Licensing Helen Chapman.

Uber, which has been operating in London since 2012, came under increasing scrutiny over its corporate practices. Regulator Transport for London (TfL) shocked the Silicon Valley firm last September by refusing to renew its licence, citing failings in its approach to reporting serious criminal offences.

In London, the firm has since made several changes to its business model since losing its licence, including the introduction of 24/7 telephone support and the proactive reporting of serious incidents to the city’s police.