Uber said that, for example, the data could be used to see how the 2016 closure of the Tower Bridge affected traffic at the time. As it detailed in a Medium post, that's something that could inform planning for similar projects in the future. It can be used to "compare past travel conditions across different times of day, days of the week, or months of the year," the company said.

Uber has a strong reasons for making sharing Uber Movement data with London, as the city denied its taxi license application last September over safety and other violations. It can still operate while it appeals the ruling, but is obviously trying to get back into London's good graces. So far, it has introduced a range of new safety and other changes, and offering its raw data to city officials can't hurt its cause.

London is just the beginning for Uber Movement in the UK. The company plans to launch it Manchester, Birmingham and other cities "over the next few months," it said.