Uber filed an appeal on Friday challenging the decision by London’s transport authorities to deny it a licence to operate in London. To recall, last month the capital’s regulator refused the American taxi-hailing giant a new private hire licence, citing "public safety and security implications" such as recruiting drivers with serious criminal offences.

The company’s licence officially expired end of last month but the service is valid and Uber can still operate until the legal process is exhausted. This means, the ride-sharing app could potentially operate in the British capital for minimum another year. Around 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers use the Uber app in London.

TfL had ruled that the company was not ‘fit and proper’ to operate in the capital on the basis of safety and security. 

Uber indicated it will continue its talks with the regulator, which had ruled that the company was not ‘fit and proper’ to operate in the capital on the basis of safety and security. But the cab-operator argued that DBS checks were properly handled by a third party organisation and that TfL's concerns over its use of software were unjustified.

‘While we have today filed our appeal so that Londoners can continue using our app, we hope to continue having constructive discussions with Transport for London,’ Uber spokesperson said. ‘As our new CEO has said, we are determined to make things right.’

A TfL spokesperson said, 'We note that Uber has submitted an appeal. No further comment will be made pending the appeal hearing.'