Uber will begin its appeal on London's license refusal

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A London court will review later today if Uber is "fit and appropriate" to hold an operator's license in the capital.

The taxi application company will present its case to Westminster Magistrates' Court during a hearing that is expected to last several days.

Last September, Transport for London refused to renew the Uber license for public safety reasons.

Uber said that he has since made significant changes, such as improving the procedure for reporting criminal actions.

The court will decide whether Uber is able to hold an operator license now rather than when Transport for London decided not to renew the license last September for the reasons set out in a 21-page document.

Uber was allowed to continue in London while waiting to appeal.

"I know we have problems and we still have work to do, but I promise that Londoners will continue to listen and improve as Uber moves in a new direction," said Tom Elvidge, general manager of Uber.

Justin Bowden, national secretary of GMB, the taxi drivers' union, said: "Uber lost his license in London because he refused to abide by the London rules, especially on the crucial issue of safety and security. He agrees that "Uber's attitude, or not at all" towards safety and his drivers will not prevail. "

He added: "The Uber license will not be made by legal action, but by real contrition and real change that can only occur as part of the engagement with Transport for London. as a licensing authority and representatives of drivers like GMB.

According to the firm, 3.6 million passengers regularly use its application in London and 45,000 drivers in the city.

• Uber to limit driving hours
• Uber to report crimes directly to the police

Since he's been denied a license to operate in London, Uber has put in place a number of changes.

Uber now reports crimes directly to the police – previously, he had filed criminal complaints with Transport for London, causing delays.

Drivers are now allowed to use the application in the area where they hold a private rental license.

The hours of work of its drivers are more strictly regulated.

A licensed driver on his app must take an uninterrupted break for six hours after 10 hours of driving with a passenger or going to a pickup.

Drivers who do not take a long enough break will not be able to log in to the app and make trips.

The company has also reorganized its leadership. Three independent non-executives have been appointed to its UK board of directors.

Uber also had difficulty getting licenses in Brighton, York and Sheffield.

In a separate case, in 2016, Uber lost a legal battle over the status of its pilots.

A London labor court ruled that its drivers were workers rather than self-employed.

This meant that drivers would be entitled to paid leave, paid meal breaks and the national minimum wage.