Ride-hailing firm Ola to hear whether their London operator’s licence will be renewed this month

Ride-hailing giants Ola are next up to hear whether their private hire operator’s licence will be renewed by London regulators Transport for London (TfL).

Ola officially launched in London in February 2020 following its UK launch in August 2018, and operates in 27 cities in the UK and over 250 globally.

According to TfL‘s online licence checker tool, their licence to operate in the capital is set to end in less than three weeks on Tuesday 20 October.

The ride-hailing firm claims to have over 25,000 drivers registered in the capital offering three categories of rides to customers: Comfort, Comfort XL and Exec.

Gett, one of the big players in corporate ground travel and known for using London’s iconic black taxi, announced a ‘strategic partnership’ in August with Ola.

The partnership allows Gett’s corporate clients access to Ola’s platform in London, enabling them to request a variety of Ola ride options, on-demand, through the Gett SaaS Platform.

Rivals Uber recently overcame licensing problems by overturning a decision to strip them of their licence following an appeal at Westminster Magistrates' Court last month.

As part of the court appeal which started on Tuesday 15 September, Uber appealed against TfL’s decision not to renew its operating licence because of safety breaches that put passengers at risk.

In November 2019 London’s regulators announced that it would not grant the minicab firm a new private hire operator’s licence following its latest application.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram however now deemed Uber to be a ‘fit and proper person to hold a London Private Hire Vehicle operator’s licence’.

Uber where handed a 18-month licence along with 21-conditions jointly suggested to the Magistrate by Uber and TfL.