Mayor warned Uber ban will hurt London

Katie Morley, Steve Swinford

James Titcomb

SADIQ KHAN has been accused of undermining London as a global hub of business innovation by banning Uber, less than 48 hours before he is due to speak at the Labour party conference.

The decision by the London mayor was criticised last night by business leaders and Conservative MPS who warned it showed the world that the capital was closed to digital companies.

Transport for London announced yesterday that the taxi app’s licence would not be renewed, saying the firm was “not fit and proper” to hold one.

Greg Hands, the minister for London, accused Mr Khan of putting 40,000 people out of work and leaving 3.5million users of Uber stranded “at the flick of a pen”. He said: “A blanket ban will cause massive inconvenience to millions of Londoners, all the while showing that the Mayor of London is closed to business and innovation.”

Within hours of the announcement Uber had emailed its 3.5million customers, urging them to sign a petition against the ban. It said it intended to challenge the decision and has 21 days to appeal. Tom Elvidge, Uber’s general manager in London, said: “We have always followed TFL rules on reporting serious incidents and have a dedicated team who work closely with the Metropolitan Police.”

Uber is accused of failing to report serious criminal offences and attempting to block regulatory bodies from checking its smartphone app. The ban means Uber will not be permitted to operate in the capital from Sept 30.