Last Friday, London’s transport authority decided to not renew Uber’s license to operate in the city. Newly-hired CEO Data Khosrowshahi has now issues a public apology in the Evening Standard for Uber and for the company’s mistakes.
“While Uber has revolutionised the way people move in cities around the world, it’s equally true that we’ve got things wrong along the way. On behalf of everyone at Uber globally, I apologise for the mistakes we’ve made,” Khosrowshahi wrote.
Uber has been operating in London for five years now, up until this ban. Uber did not face the same type of competition from rivals like Lyft and Juno that it does in other cities. Transport for London (TfL) defended its decision to ban Uber by saying that 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.”
London Major Sadiq Khalid backed the decision by TfL to ban Uber. In a statement, Khalid said that “All companies in London must play by the rules and adhere to the high standards we expect — particularly when it comes to the safety of customers.” In addition, he stated that “Providing an innovative service must not be at the expense of customer safety and security.”
Here’s the full letter by CEO Khosrowshahi:
Uber plans to appeal the decision and has until october 13th to do it. Dara Khosrowshahi in his letter stated that the company will be its best to appeal the decision and make things right.
