An Uber driver is taking Transport for London (TfL) to court over delays in renewing his private hire licence that he says caused financial hardship. Julius Mugabo, 55, who has been licensed since 2016, says the renewal process took so long that he accumulated thousands of pounds in debt and feared losing his home.
The dispute centers on the requirement under the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 that minicab drivers can only work lawfully after TfL completes checks and issues or renews a licence. Licences are renewed every three years. According to the accounts reported, Mugabo’s challenge is described as one of the first of its kind.
Other reporting adds that TfL’s delays are also a broader concern for drivers and their representatives. A union says thousands of drivers in London experience lost income because of what it calls a broken system for renewing licences, framing the case as both an individual legal action and a test of TfL’s approach to processing renewals.
