People Are Freaking Out As Uber Loses Its Licence To Operate In London

'Does this mean I'll actually have to try the [whispers] night tube?'
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Londoners are struggling to come to terms with the news that Uber has lost its licence to operate in the city.

The ride-hailing app will no longer be able to offer services in their current form within the M25, in a shock ruling made by Transport for London (TfL).

And now its capital-based customers, estimated to be around 3.5 million people, have gone in complete meltdown over how they’re going to get about, expressing themselves on Twitter in the best way they know how - by posting a flurry of gifs.

Many are imagining what the future will look like. And they’re painting it as pretty bleak.

Several are also having fun imagining the reaction from Uber’s rivals.

But others are remembering the reason why TfL came to this decision.

The authority concluded that Uber “is not fit and proper” to hold a private hire operator licence after finding that the company demonstrates “a lack of corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications”.

It means that as many as 40,000 Uber drivers will potentially now be forced off the city’s streets.

Uber is allowed to continue to operate during an appeals process, if it chooses to challenge the decision.

The firm appeared to suggest it would, saying those who use the app would be “astounded” by the ruling.

Tom Elvidge, General Manager of Uber in London, said: “This ban would show the world that, far from being open, London is closed to innovative companied who bring choice to customers.”

TfL has also been accused of “endangering women” and other vulnerable people by suggesting that the loss of the app will leave thousands of people who cannot afford black cab costs “at risk” when trying to get home, especially at night.

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