A RIDE-HAILING company has won a court battle against the city council after its licence was revoked.

Brighton and Hove City Council ruled at a meeting in May that Uber was not a “fit and proper entity” to hold a licence.

It was concerned the tech-giant was not using Brighton and Hove licensed drivers - something they had previously agreed to.

Concerns were also raised about a 2016 data breach which put user’s information at risk.

Uber then launched an appeal and it was announced today (December 11) that it had won. 

Chairwoman of the licensing panel Councillor Jackie O’Quinn said: “We’re very disappointed in the court ruling against our decision not to renew Uber’s private hire operator licence. 

“When making licensing decisions, our priority is the safety of residents and visitors and that’s why we set a high level of conditions.”

All Brighton and Hove licensed drivers in the city have to abide by the rules and regulations set out in the “Blue Book”.

These regulations, which are some of the most stringent in the country, include CCTV and disability awareness training.

Uber has been using drivers licensed in other areas, and as such, they do not meet the same guidelines.

Cllr O’Quinn added: “Part of our decision not to renew was because we didn’t feel UBL had kept to the spirit of the commitment it made to keep to our standards and only use Brighton & Hove licensed drivers.

“UBL’s operating model is a challenge to local licensing conditions and the current licensing regulations, and I feel this needs to be addressed at a national level.”

A spokesman for Uber said: “We are pleased to see the District Judge in Brighton come to the same conclusion as the thirty other councils that have granted or renewed Uber’s licence since September 2017, namely that Uber is a fit and proper operator.

“We are proud of the progress we have made and we want to continue to be a partner to the cities we serve.”

At the time the original decision was made, the council said in a statement: “The unanimous decision was taken as the members of the panel were not satisfied that Uber Brittania Limited are a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold an operator’s licence under the terms of Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 and the council’s licensing objectives.

“The panel considered all circumstances relating to the application and the factors operating in Brighton & Hove.

“This included a number of issues raised by those objecting to the application, which they found to carry very little or no evidential weight.

“However, the panel did have significant concerns about the company’s data breach and UBL’s lack of commitment to use only Brighton and Hove licensed drivers in the city. These formed the basis of the decision to not renew the licence.”

At the time, Cllr O’Quinn said: “When making Hackney Carriage and Private Hire operator licensing decisions, our priority is the safety of residents and visitors and, due to the data breach and the lack of commitment to using drivers licensed here, we were not satisfied that UBL are a fit and proper person to hold an operator’s licence in the city.

“All Brighton and Hove private hire and Hackney Carriage drivers in the city operate under the same licences and guidelines contained in the Blue Book and undergo the same background checks, whichever company they drive for.”