UK: Uber competitor Lyft met with London transport authorities

Lyft, Uber’s closest US rival in the taxi-hailing business, met repeatedly with officials from London’s transport regulator over the past year, a sign it may be targeting the city for international expansion.

Transport for London (TfL), which oversees taxi and private hire car operators, published details of the meetings with Lyft executives in response to a UK government freedom of information request in July.

If Lyft enters the London market Uber would face its first well-funded competitor in Europe when it is trying to overturn a decision by TfL not to renew its license. Lyft has raised around US$2.6 billion in financing, including an investment round of US$600 million in April, according to funding tracker Crunch base.

London’s transport regulator on Friday, September 22, said it would not renew Uber’s license to operate, citing the firm’s approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers.

Full Content: Bloomberg

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