Uber wins court fight to keep operating in London

The ride-hailing app Uber on Monday won a crucial appeal at a British court here to continue operating in London, reported Xinhua.

Westminster Magistrates Court said that Uber is now a "fit and proper" operator "despite historical fallings".

Uber was previously blocked from London in September 2017 but won an appeal after vowing to to introduce new safety measures.

But Transport for London (TfL) then refused to renew its operating licence in November last year, leading to a 10-month legal fight.

Ruling on Monday morning, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram said Uber made "clear improvements in communication", and improved engagement with TfL.

"Despite their historical failings, I find them, now, to be a fit and proper person to hold a London PHV (private hire vehicle) operator's licence," Ikram said.

"I am pleased that Uber have admitted that their response to very real concerns about passenger safety was inadequate, and since then Uber has made improvements," Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said.

"I can assure Londoners that TfL will continue to closely monitor Uber and will not hesitate to take swift action should they fail to meet the strict standards required to protect passengers," he added.

There are about 45,000 licensed drivers working for 3.5 million Uber users in London. Uber won the appeal means they can keep their jobs.

The last ban in 2017 saw almost 400,000 Londoners sign a petition to keep the app alive in the British capital.

Uber is available in 440 cities across six continents, including Chinese, French and U.S. ones. London is one of its most important markets.