Uber will lose its license to operate inside London. The issue may be only a temporary setback since the license expires on September 30th and Uber can continue to operate in London while appealing the decision:
London's transportation agency dealt a major blow to Uber on Friday, declining to renew the ride-hailing service's license to operate in its largest European market. [...] "Uber's approach and conduct demonstrate a lack of corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications," the agency, Transport for London, said in a statement.
[...] In issuing its decision, Transport for London, which is responsible for the city's subways and buses as well as regulating its taxicabs, declared that Uber was not "fit and proper" to operate in the city — a designation that carries significant weight in Britain. "Fit and proper" is a benchmark applied across different sectors of business and the charitable organizations in the country to ensure that people or organizations meet the requirements of their industry or specialty. Tests typically assess factors like an individual or company's honesty, transparency and competence, though there is no formal exam. In Uber's case, Transport for London said it examined issues of how it dealt with serious criminal offenses, how it conducted background checks on drivers and its justification for a software program called Greyball that "could be used to block regulatory bodies from gaining full access to the app."
Opinion: London's Uber Ban Is a Big Brexit Mistake
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Monday September 25 2017, @09:20AM (2 children)
One of the dubious practices that Uber has been panned for engaging in involves partnering with a company that offers car loans. You sign up as an Uber driver and you can buy a car with a fairly small downpayment and a large loan with very high interest rates. Don't worry, says the glossy Uber marketing, you can pay back the loan easily with the money you make as an Uber driver. Unfortunately, the income from driving is much lower than Uber advertises and the loan contract means that if you don't pay the interest then they'll confiscate the car and you'll still owe them for the depreciation. Oh, and you can't use the car for any commercial purposes other than driving for Uber, as per the terms of the loan agreement. You're basically locked in to driving for them, with no alternative other than declaring bankruptcy (and then trying to find a job with that on your record).
I don't know if this scheme operated in the UK, but I wouldn't be surprised if Uber didn't have other similar schemes to attempt to keep their drivers in indentured servitude.
sudo mod me up
(Score: 2) by zocalo on Monday September 25 2017, @12:10PM (1 child)
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Monday September 25 2017, @12:47PM
sudo mod me up