Uber is suing London over coming regulations

Uber is not letting London regulate its drivers without a fight.

The company is suing the regulator Transport for London over rules that would require all Uber drivers — and other private hire drivers — to pass a written English test.

Uber first expressed its displeasure with the regulations last week in an email to all London-based Uber users. It urged its users to ask their mayor to reevaluate the transport regulator's plans, which are set to take effect in October.

This week, Uber said it was bringing a legal challenge against the English exam requirements as well as against three other rules imposed by Transport for London.

“This legal action is very much a last resort," Uber London General Manager Tom Elvidge said in a statement. "We’re particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process with Transport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber.”

Uber has criticized the required written English exam as unduly burdensome for drivers who need only spoken English to do their jobs. The company supports required exams evaluating spoken English skills, rather than written ones.

But Uber is tying its challenge of the English test to other regulations that generally affect Uber as a company, rather than its drivers.

In the same package of regulations set to take effect in October, London is requiring Uber to notify the city of any changes to its app and to set up a 24/7 call center based in London. It is also requiring drivers to have commercial insurance at all times, even if they are not working as private hire drivers year-round.

Uber is challenging all four requirements, arguing that there is no need for a call center to be physically located in London and that the need to alert a regulator of changes to the Uber app sets a precedent that would slow down innovation in London. A group of London entrepreneurs signed a letter to that effect in the Financial Times.

"We responded to Uber's letter and will be robustly defending the legal proceedings brought by them in relation to the changes to private hire regulations," Transport for London said in a statement. "These have been introduced to enhance public safety when using private hire services and we are determined to create a vibrant taxi and private hire market with space for all providers to flourish.”