We have changed, Uber says at court in London license battle

LONDON (Reuters) – Uber [UBER.UL] He admitted to making mistakes but said he changed Monday during a court challenge of a decision removing him from his London permit after being declared unfit to operate a taxi service on his European market the most. important.

Supported by Goldman Sachs and BlackRock among others and valued at more than $ 70 billion, Uber has faced protests, bans and restrictions around the world while its application challenges traditional taxi operators and upset some unions.

Transport for London (TfL) refused to renew the Uber license in September, citing deficiencies in its reporting of serious criminal offenses and checking the background of drivers.

The court case is a test of where Uber can demonstrate that he has changed and while the appeals process is ongoing, Uber can continue to operate in the city.

Judge Emma Arbuthnot said that she would probably rule on the case Tuesday after hearing evidence from the TfL transport regulator.

Dara Khosrowshahi, general manager of Silicon Valley, who took orders the month before TfL's decision, has since committed to "doing things" in London and Uber has launched several new initiatives, including phone support 24/7 and proactive reporting of serious incidents. to the police of the city. He also changed direction.

Uber's attorney, Thomas de la Mare, said that he accepted the decision and that the goal of the appeal should focus on his reforms.

"We admit it was right," said de la Mare at Westminster Magistrates Court, adding that he had responded to TfL's concerns.

"It's this acceptance that has led to profound changes in the way we conduct our business."

INACCESSIBLE, INCOMPLETE, INADEQUATE

Uber UK's managing director, Tom Elvidge, admitted that his correspondence with TfL was sometimes inaccurate, incomplete and inadequate.

But Mr Elvidge said that a change of staff and policies would avoid similar problems in the future, and credited Khosrowshahi with changing the wider culture of the company after the resignation of his predecessor, Travis Kalanick.

Kalanick resigned a year ago following investor pressure after a series of scandals on his watch.

Laurel Powers-Freeling of Uber said that she had also seen evidence of a changing culture in the company, after the banking executive was named its first president at the firm. United Kingdom as a result of the decision.

"I've seen a lot of cultural change – I've seen a lot of improvements in systems and processes," said Powers-Freeling, who has been in post since November.

The GMB union said that Uber had to demonstrate that she had adopted a "real change" in her approach to passenger safety in order to recover her license.

After his five year license application was rejected last year, Uber is now looking for an 18 month to prove to the authorities that he has reformed.

Judge Arbuthnot's decision, which may reflect Uber's reforms since the initial decision, may be the subject of a new appeal, which means that the entire legal process could take years.

She noted that any license renewal could be for a shorter period.

"I would have thought, if I had to renew the license, 18 months would be a bit too long," she said.

Martin Chamberlain, TfL's lawyer, stated that Uber's actions should be viewed in the context of his past behavior, and that any license granted by the judge should be short and subject to stricter conditions than the authority regulation has accepted.

The stake for the American company is one of its most important foreign markets. Of its 60,000 drivers in Britain, about 45,000 are in London.

Since the September ruling, Uber has also been stripped of its license by the coastal city of Brighton, in a ruling it calls, and the city of York, to the north.

He has, however, obtained new licenses in Sheffield, Cambridge, Nottingham and Leicester.