London's mayor said people angry about the decision by transport authorities to strip Uber of its license to operate in the city should blame the ride-hailing company itself.

"I have every sympathy with Uber drivers and customers affected by this decision, but their anger really should be directed at Uber," Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Saturday 23 September, a day after the ruling to remove Uber's licence.

The city's transportation agency, Transport for London, said that it would not renew Uber's licence when it expires on 30 September, citing a lack of corporate responsibility. The agency said the factors it considered included Uber's "approach to reporting serious criminal offences" and its use of software designed to evade the authorities.

Khan said in a statement that it would be wrong "to license Uber if there was any way this could pose a threat to Londoners' safety or security".

Uber has long been a target of complaints from taxi drivers and companies. Black cab drivers say Uber drivers don't have to comply with the same licensing standards, giving the ride-hailing service an unfair advantage and placing the public at risk.

Uber said it plans to appeal and accused London's regulator of caving in to special interests "who want to restrict consumer choice". It can keep operating in the city pending the outcome of the appeal.

More than 500,000 people have signed an online petition protesting the decision not to renew Uber's license. Uber has 3.5 million customers and 40,000 drivers in London.

Sadiq Khan
London Mayor Sadiq Khan told people to blame Uber for the loss of its licence, not the authorities Reuters
Uber London