Transport for London grant Indian ride-hailing firm Ola a private hire operators licence to work in

London's transport licensing authority TfL have granted Indian based ride-hailing firm Ola a licence to operate in the capital.

As reported in TechCrunch, Ola said it had been given the green light to launch its services in London alongside their biggest competitor Uber, who already operate in the city.

Ola have said that they hope to launch in September and will release more details closer to that time.

A spokesperson for Ola said: “London is one of the world’s most iconic cities and hosts a progressive mobility environment.

“We are looking forward to building world-class mobility offerings for London, by collaborating with drivers, riders, the government and local authorities.” A report in the FT, confirmed that Ola has raised a total of $3.8bn since it was founded in 2011. The ride-hailing firm spent several years growing in India and has since expanded into Australia and New Zealand.

With more than 1.5m drivers around the world, Ola is no slouch and will hope to give Uber a run for their money in the most lucrative city in the UK.

Ola already offers its services in other UK cities including Cardiff, Liverpool, Birmingham, Reading, Bath and Bristol.

Ola is now operating in more than 150 cities around the world. TfL’s licence will allow Ola to operate for 15 months before it has to seek a renewal, which will be due in October 2020.

Image: Source; Ola