UK city Birmingham wants further details from Uber before license decision

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LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s second city Birmingham is seeking clarity from Uber [UBER.UL] on its business model as it decides whether to renew the taxi app’s license after granting a temporary extension.

Uber, which is fighting to keep its cars on London’s streets after the regulator deemed it unfit to run a taxi service, saw its one-year license in Birmingham expire last month.

“Officers in our Licensing team have temporarily extended Uber’s private hire operator license in Birmingham, whilst they seek clarity from Uber around its operating model,” said the council’s Acting Director of Regulation and Enforcement Chris Neville.

Uber has made a series of changes to its business model in recent months, responding to requests from regulators, including the introduction of 24/7 telephone support and the proactive reporting of serious incidents to London’s police.

The firm’s license in Edinburgh is also due to expire next week with a renewal decision pending, according to the council’s website.

A spokeswoman at the council did not provide an immediate comment on the status of the application when contacted by Reuters on Thursday.