Following the news that Uber has been stripped of its licence to operate in London, celebrities took to Twitter in their droves to either applaud the decision or vent their frustration. On Friday morning, Transport for London made the surprise announcement, revealing that from the end of September the taxi app cannot operate as it "poses risks to public safety". Good Morning Britain's Piers Morgan told his followers he was pleased with the news, writing: "Very good day for London's Black Cab community & they deserve it. No better trained, safer & more reliable taxi service in the world. #uber."
The move will affect more than 40,000 drivers, with over 3.5 million Londoners using the service in the city. British actress Kathy Burke tweeted: "I like using black cabs but I also like an occasional Uber. There's only one way to settle this. FLIGHT!" Made In Chelsea's Jess Woodley wrote: "Cool no uber guess I'm walking." YouTuber Andy Castell told his followers: "In what world is getting into a random black cab on the street safer than booking a driver and being tracked by GPS wherever you go? #Uber." He added: "Wonder how much Addison Lee and the black cab unions had to "donate" to the executives at TFL for them to come to this decision?"
STORY: Uber has been stripped of its licence to operate in London
TfL said that Uber had demonstrated "a lack of corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications". A statement posted on Twitter revealed that these include: "Its approach to reporting serious criminal offences" and "its approach to how medical certificates are obtained". Another concern was over its use of software called Greyball, which can be used to "block regulatory bodies from gaining full access to the app and prevent officials from undertaking regulatory or law enforcement duties".
Uber has 21 days to appeal the decision
Uber has since revealed that they will challenge the decision made by London's transport regulator. In a statement, the US-based company said: "Transport for London and the mayor have caved in to a small number of people who want to restrict consumer choice." Uber's general manager in London, Tom Elvidge, said: "To defend the livelihoods of all those drivers, and the consumer choice of millions of Londoners who use our app, we intend to immediately challenge this in the courts."
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