It seems Uber sudden and surprising suspension by the Transport for London has prompted the ride-hailing company to start operating by the book.
The TFL had said in a notice that “Uber London Limited is not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator licence. TFL considers 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.
This was in September. Now without waiting for a government or law enforcement agency to come after it, Uber has halted its unlicensed service UberPOP in Oslo, Norway for the meantime until the country introduces new rules.
UberPOP allows unlicensed drivers to provide lifts to Uber users, which is completely at odds with Uber X that uses licensed drivers. UberPOP has already been suspended in a number of across Europe, including Paris and Brussels, for contravening local rules.
Dara Khosrowshahi, in a statement, said: “We’ve learned the hard way that we must change as a company in order to serve the millions of riders and drivers who rely on us. That’s why it’s now time to pause UberPOP in Norway, in order to relaunch under new regulations.”
The suspension will kickoff on Oct. 30, while Uber’s licensed services will operate.
But the question is why should UberPop operate unlicensed service which is against the law? Considering the many unethical practices of the ride-hailing giant, it means that they will have a free reign in countries that have little or no quality controls. Of course, the first continent that may come to your mind is Africa!
Anyways, the good news is that Uber is learning from its mistakes and it shows that the new CEO is doing its best to improve the reputation of the image of Uber after a medley of in-house crises.
