In response to the news that Uber has lost its license to operate in London", Research Director Sam Dumitriu comments:

“TfL’s decision to strip Uber of its license to operate in London is disproportionate. It sends a signal across the world that London isn’t open to innovation and competition.

“The violations uncovered by TfL, while troubling, have been addressed through stricter checks on drivers using AI and facial recognition. There’s no reason to expect that this specific problem will continue. Furthermore, if you take into account Uber’s other safety features, it’s likely they compare favourably to other modes of transport in London and definitely favourably compared to transport in London ten years ago before Uber.

“Unlike the initial ban, there is now intense competition in London’s private hire market. However, there is a serious risk that a similarly aggressive regulatory approach will be applied to Uber’s competitors, such as Kapten and Bolt.

“Disruption, innovation, and competition in the private hire market has been overwhelmingly beneficial to Londoners. Cutting fares and wait times, while providing flexible work for thousands of drivers in London.“