Uber says thousands of London drivers threatened by English language test

A photo illustration shows the Uber app logo displayed on a mobile telephone, as it is held up for a posed photograph in central London, Britain August 17, 2016. REUTERS/Neil Hall/Illustration

LONDON: Tens of thousands of London private hire drivers could lose their licences due to new English reading and writing requirements, taxi app Uber said on Feb 28 at the start of a court battle to halt the plans.

San Francisco-based Uber, which allows users to book journeys at the touch of a button on their smartphone, has grown rapidly in recent years but faced bans and protests around the world as regulators play catch-up with technology disrupting traditional operators.