Tech

Uber CEO is holding crunch talks with London regulators after ban

Key Points
  • Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is meeting regulator Transport for London (TFL)
  • He will discuss TFL's decision to not renew Uber's operating license in London
  • It comes as the Uber board prepares to vote on reforms that could limit the power of ex-CEO Travis Kalanick
Uber CEO in London to speak with transport officials
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Uber CEO in London to speak with transport officials

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is meeting London transport regulators on Tuesday after the ride hailing app lost its license to operate in the British capital.

The newly-appointed Uber boss will sit down with Mike Brown, the commissioner of Transport for London (TFL).

Neither TFL nor Uber released details of when or where the meeting will take place or if there will be a media statement released in the end.

Last month, TFL rejected an application by Uber to renew its operating license in London. TFL said that the U.S. firm was not "fit and proper" to operate. Uber's license expired on September 30. It can still operate until the appeals process, which has not yet begun, is exhausted.

Khosrowshahi wrote in a letter to staff at the time that Uber would appeal the decision, which was likely based on the company's past behavior.

"The truth is that there is a high cost to a bad reputation," he wrote. "It really matters what people think of us, especially in a global business like ours.

Dara Khosrowshahi
David Ryder | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Uber has hit a few roadblocks in the U.K. market. On top of the TFL decision, Uber is awaiting a decision from an employment tribunal which is ruling on whether drivers for the company are workers or self-employed. If they are deemed to be workers, that would entitle them to benefits such as paid leave. The tribunal met last week, but a decision has not been made.

Meanwhile, Jo Bertram, Uber's Northern European Manager, left the company on Monday.

"Given some of our current challenges, I'm also convinced that now is the right time to have a change of face, and to hand over to someone who will be here for the long haul and take us into the next phase," Bertram said in an email to staff seen by CNBC on Tuesday.

In the background of all of this is a power struggle taking place in Uber's boardroom. Ex-CEO Travis Kalanick appointed two people to Uber's board, a move that Khosrowshahi said was "disappointing" and "unusual."

On Tuesday, the Uber board is expected to vote on reforms that could pave the way for a mega investment from SoftBank and also limit the power of early investors and Kalanick, according to Bloomberg.