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Uber today issued a dramatic apology for mistakes that led to it being stripped of its licence to operate - but pledged to fight the decision “on behalf of millions of Londoners”.

The ride-hailing firm’s new global chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said he accepted the company had to make changes to survive.

He confirmed that Uber would challenge Transport for London’s controversial decision in court but said he wanted to “make things right” at the same time.

London mayor Sadiq Khan, who heads up TfL, stressed that companies had to “play by the rules,” saying Uber chiefs should meet with his transport body to thrash out all the issues.

TfL’s shock ruling on Friday that Uber was “not fit and proper” to hold a private hire licence dismayed many of the 3.5 million Londoners who have come to rely on cheaper rides and raised questions about the future of 40,000 drivers.

However, it was welcomed by critics, including the black cab trade, who have criticised the firm’s safety record and raised concerns over the US tech giant’s business methods.

In an open letter in the Standard, Mr Khosrowshahi, who took over at the firm last month, said: “While Uber has revolutionised the way people move in cities around the world, it’s equally true that we’ve got things wrong along the way.

“On behalf of everyone at Uber globally, I apologise for the mistakes we’ve made.

"We will appeal this decision on behalf of millions of Londoners, but we do so with the knowledge that we must also change.

“As Uber’s new CEO, it is my job to help Uber write its next chapter.

"We won’t be perfect, but we will listen to you; we will look to be long-term partners with the cities we serve; and we will run our business with humility, integrity and passion”.

He added: “You have my commitment that we will work with London to make things right and keep this great global city moving safely”.

The apology came as:

Businesses warned that Uber losing its licence could cost the capital’s night-time economy millions of pounds a year.

It emerged that Uber was repeatedly given a clean bill of health by transport bosses with inspections carried out between 2013 and the middle of this year failing to find any major fault with the company, leading to claims the cancellation of its licence smacked of “political opportunism”.

The firm hired top barrister Thomas de la Mare QC, who has successfully fought TfL before, to lead its appeal against the London ban, which is expected to be lodged within days.

Almost 750,000 people signed a petition calling on the Mayor to reverse the decision, and more than half of Uber’s 40,000 London drivers have also written to Mr Khan’s office.

Black cab drivers called for a change in legislation to block Uber exploiting “a loophole” - simply registering with neighbouring local authorities - to keep running its service in London.

Mr Khosrowshahi’s promise to run Uber “with humility, integrity and passion” from now on marks a dramatic shift in tone from the embattled tech giant.

The loss of its London licence follows months of controversy for the firm globally, including allegations of sexism and harassment, its use of secret ‘Greyball’ software to track rival firms and deceive regulators, regulatory battles around the world, and an exodus of top executives, which eventually led to founder and CEO Travis Kalanick stepping down.

Fred Jones, Uber’s Head of UK Cities, said he wanted to sit down with TfL chiefs as he was still “not clear” what the transport body’s concerns were.

Insiders at the firm said they would be contacting TfL today to request a meeting.

Mr Khan told BBC radio: “I’m happy to talk to anybody. what you can’t do is have a situation where unfair pressure is brought on a quasi-judicial body... I appreciate that Uber has an army of PR experts, an army of lawyers, they’ve also made aggressive threats about taking us to court.”

He added: “I’m quite clear in my mind that London should be a place for new technology, a place were new companies set up but they’ve got to play by the rules.

"If you play by the rules, you’re welcome in London, if you don’t, don’t be surprised if TfL take action against you.”