優步因安全不過關在倫敦被禁，將失去其歐洲最大市場？
Uber’s cars will not disappear immediately as its current license expires on September 30 and it plans to challenge the ruling by London’s transport authority in the courts immediately. The firm can continue to operate in the capital until it has exhausted the appeals process, which could take months.
優步的網約車不會在9月30日營業執照到期後立刻消失，該公司正打算立即對倫敦交通局的決定進行上訴。走完所有上訴程序需要花上數月，在此之前優步仍可在倫敦繼續運營。
倫敦交通局對叫停優步經營牌照給出的解釋是，優步在倫敦的一些運營存在安全隱患，缺乏社會責任。例如沒有按規定提供司機的犯罪記錄、醫學健康證明等，一些優步司機在約車軟件中使用“反釣魚”程序躲避交通部門的監管。
The decision was backed by the British capital's black-cab drivers and Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
這一決定得到了倫敦黑色出租車司機和倫敦市長薩迪克•卡恩的支持。
Uber’s chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, wrote to staff on Friday confirming that the company would appeal against the ruling. He said he disagreed with the decision but it was based on past behavior.
優步首席執行官科斯羅薩西22日在致員工的信件中確認，該公司將對這一決定上訴。他表示並不同意倫敦交通局的決定，但這一決定的確是基於優步過去的表現。
此前發生的一些事件證明，優步的確存在安全隱患，據《倫敦晚報》2016年5月報道：
Metropolitan Police officers received 32 allegations of rape or sexual assault involving Uber drivers over 12 months, the equivalent of about one every 11 days.
倫敦警方在過去12個月裏受理了32起與優步司機有關的性侵或性騷擾指控，相當於每11天左右就出現一起。
英國《太陽報》去年12月也曾報道，有乘客反映一些優步司機向其兜售毒品：
Uber customers have claimed their drivers are offering them drugs with concerns flagged that the taxi system is the "ideal means" to sell illegal products.
優步乘客聲稱，優步司機向他們兜售毒品，他們擔心優步的網約車系統會成爲銷售不法物品的“理想工具”。
Dozens of people have reported the dodgy dealings, with many taking to social media to recount the drug offers. One man took to social media just days ago, writing: "I've had Uber drivers offer me sex or/and drugs before".
很多人已經舉報了這些狡猾的交易，不少人在社交網絡上描述了毒品交易的過程。一名男子數天前在社交網絡上寫道：“我曾遇到向我提供性服務、毒品的優步司機”。
今年8月，倫敦大都市警察局主管出租車及約租車安全的高級警官尼爾•比爾蘭尼（Neil Billany）致信倫敦市交通局，對優步沒有向警局上報嚴重犯罪行爲而感到擔憂。他認爲優步可能爲保護公司聲譽，而對司機嚴重的犯罪行爲知情不報。
In the letter, Billany detailed how Uber failed to report a sexual assault to the police in January this year. According to his account, Uber spoke with the driver, who denied the offence, then did "nothing more." Then the driver struck again four months later, assaulting a different female passenger. Three days later, Uber fired the driver and informed Transport for London, which in turn told the police.
比爾蘭尼在信中詳細描述了優步在今年1月沒能向警方上報一起性侵事件的過程。據他稱，優步和這名司機談過話，該司機不承認犯罪，於是此事就“不了了之”。隨後，這位司機在四個月後再次作案，性侵了另外一名女性乘客。三天後，優步辭退這名司機，且通知了倫敦交通局，警方這才得知消息。
He accused Uber of reporting "low-level" fraud, but of not reporting more serious episodes because they might damage the company's reputation.
比爾蘭尼認爲優步彙報了“程度較輕”的犯罪，但可能爲保護公司聲譽，而對情節更加嚴重的罪行知情不報。
He added that Uber didn't automatically report serious crimes in case it breached passenger rights.
他還稱，優步並沒有自動上報情節嚴重的犯罪以免乘客權益因此受損。
基於以上種種，倫敦交通局認定優步存在公共安全隱患，但是這一裁決仍然引發了大量羣衆的不滿。據BBC報道，優步於9月22日發起網上請願活動：
More than 680,000 people have signed an online petition in a bid to keep Uber operating in London after its licence expires on September 30.
已經有超過68萬人在請願網站上簽名，支持優步在9月30日營業執照到期後繼續在倫敦運營。
不少支持者認爲，以優步“不夠安全”爲由禁止其在倫敦運營是不成立的，因爲沒有了優步更加不安全，他們給出了以下理由：
1. The app tracks your location and lets you share it with friends
優步可以跟蹤你的定位，允許你將其分享給朋友。
2. You can wait somewhere safe until your Uber turns up, whereas a black cab involves waiting on the street
你可以在安全的地方等待你的優步出現，而黑色出租車卻只能在街上等。
3. Uber serves the suburbs of London, where it's harder to find a black cab
優步在倫敦郊區也可以用，而很難在那裏找到黑色出租車。
這位網友就認爲，優步的安全性在於你可以全程監控自己預約的行程：“你可以爲你的愛人預約一輛優步，然後全程盯着它直到安全抵達。”
上文中提到的black cab，俗稱“黑出租”，就是在優步進入倫敦以前，英國人多年來一直乘坐的出租車。這種車通體黑色，內部空間很大，司機專業，乘坐舒適，但缺陷是價格極貴。
黑出租之所以收費高，是因爲司機經過嚴格考覈才能上崗，對倫敦街道的各種信息瞭如指掌，但他們所能提供的專業服務現在已經可以被科技取代。
在倫敦，還有一種被稱爲mini cab的出租車服務，這是一種約租車。
Mini cab is a car that is used as a taxi but that must be ordered in advance because it is not licensed to pick up passengers who hail it in the street.
約租車必須要提前預定，因爲這種出租車沒有在街邊攬客的執照。
約租車的費用比黑出租要便宜，但由於需要事先預定，乘客往往要等待較長時間。
