A deputy chief magistrate, Tan Ikram, has said Uber, the global ride-hailing giant can continue to operate in London as after he restored the company’s transportation license.
The judge ruled that Uber had met a “fit and proper” standard to receive a license for 18 months.
Mr. Ikram said Uber had taken the necessary steps to address regulators’ concerns, including new safety measures to keep unauthorized and uninsured drivers from using its platform to carry passengers.
A ban would have been a major blow for the company, whose ride-hailing service helped remake urban transportation but now faces growing financial and regulatory challenges around the globe.
In London, Uber has up to 45,000 drivers on the road and provides millions of rides each month, according to information the company submitted to the court.
Uber “does not have a perfect record, but it has been an improving picture,” Mr. Ikram said in his decision. “I am satisfied that they are doing what a reasonable business in their sector could be expected to do, perhaps even more.”
Over the past three years, Uber’s London operating license has been pulled twice over safety concerns, but the company has been allowed to continue operating during appeals.
The latest case dates from November, when Transport for London, the city’s transportation regulator, revoked Uber’s taxi license after saying the company did not meet a “fit and proper” standard needed to hold a taxi license.
London transportation regulators accepted the judge’s decision. A condition of the 18-month license is the submission of periodic safety reports, which Transport for London said would allow the authorities to keep a “close eye on Uber.”
Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, cheered the ruling.
“This decision is a recognition of Uber’s commitment to safety, and we will continue to work constructively with TfL,” Mr. Heywood said in a statement, referring to Transport for London. “There is nothing more important than the safety of the people who use the Uber app as we work together to keep London moving.”
