Ola To Appeal For Renewal Of Operating Licence In London; Services Will Continue For Now

Following the news about the cancellation of Ola's operational licence in London, the Bengaluru-based ride-hailing company has now told carandbike that it will be appealing against the decision soon. The company says that while London's public transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), did refuse to grant it a new private hire vehicle (PHV) operator's licence, the decision accords Ola the opportunity to appeal against it, which it will exercise. In the meantime, Ola says, that its operations will continue as usual, including cab services.

Also Read: London Transport Regulator Strips Ola's Operating Licence Over Public Safety Failings

Talking about the latest development, Marc Rozendal, Managing Director, Ola UK, said, "At Ola, our core principle is to work closely, collaboratively and transparently with regulators such as TfL. We have been working with TfL during the review period and have sought to provide assurances and address the issues raised in an open and transparent manner. Ola will take the opportunity to appeal this decision and in doing so, our riders and drivers can rest assured that we will continue to operate as normal, providing safe and reliable mobility for London."

Transport for London (TfL) had said, Ola can continue to operate pending the outcome of any appeal process

Announcing its decision to strip Ola's operator licence, Transport for London (TfL) had said, "Ola can continue to operate pending the outcome of any appeal process", and further added that the ride-hailing company has 21 days to appeal against the decision. Ola was officially launched in London in February 2020.

Ola claims that it proactively told TfL of its failings, including breaches of its licensing regime, which led to unlicensed drivers and vehicles undertaking more than 1,000 passenger trips on the platform's behalf. Ola also said that it will cooperate with the authorities to sort this issue, and all the problems with the platform have been corrected and the company is confident this can be demonstrated on appeal.