Indian ride-hailing platform Ola has started registering licenced drivers in London as it prepares to launch operations in the city, close on the heels of competitor Uber losing its licence to carry paying passengers there over failures on safety and security.

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More than 50,000 licenced drivers can continue to provide mobility services in London, Ola said in a statement.

Ola launched in the UK with operations in Cardiff in August 2018 and has been steadily expanding across the country in cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Exeter, Reading, Bristol, Bath, Coventry, and Warwick, the company said.

Uber was stripped of its licence after unauthorised drivers were able to upload their photos to others’ accounts so that, on at least 14,000 trips, a driver other than the advertised one picked up passengers, the regulator Transport for London (TfL) had said.

Simon Smith, head of Ola's international operations, said his company has built a robust mobility platform for London that is fully compliant with TfL’s "high standards" and is inviting drivers across London to register themselves on their platform ahead of the launch in the coming weeks.

He said Ola has had had constructive conversations with the authorities, drivers, and local communities in London over the past months,

First Published:Nov 26, 2019 9:09 PM IST