Addison Lee CEO shows support for TfL’s decision to not renew Ola’s licence in the capital
The CEO of private hire firm Addison Lee, Liam Griffin, has backed Transport for London’s decision to not renew the operating licence of India based ride-hailing app Ola in the capital.
It was announced on 4 October that Ola would not be granted a new licence to offer their services in London on the grounds of not being a ‘fit-and-proper-person’ to hold one after it came to light that there had been numerous safety breaches.
Speaking a day after the announcement was made, Griffin said: “We’re fully supportive of this move by TfL to uphold safety standards, which should be the core of any responsible car service. There is no room for any practice that may put passenger safety at risk.”
Ola had been operating in London since February 2020 and recently made TfL aware of a number of failures that had potential public safety consequences. These included:
Historic breaches of the licensing regime that led to unlicensed drivers and vehicles undertaking more than 1,000 passenger trips on behalf of Ola
Failure to draw these breaches to TfL’s attention immediately when they were first identified.
Applicants have a right to appeal a decision not to grant a licence to a Magistrates’ Court within 21 days. Ola can continue to operate pending the outcome of any appeal process.
Marc Rozendal, Ola’s UK Managing Director, 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."