By Heather Somerville
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Uber Technologies Inc is working to mend its relationship with regulators as pressure mounts for the company to improve its business practices and temper Chief Executive Travis Kalanick’s aggressive leadership style.
Uber on Wednesday obtained the necessary permit to put its self-driving cars back on California streets, conceding to the state’s rules after a public spat with regulators last year and initially refusing to apply for the $150 permit.
The permit allows Uber back into its home state and the chief testing ground for self-driving cars, where 26 other companies – including Alphabet Inc, Tesla Motors and Ford Motor Co – are competing for a piece of the autonomous vehicle market and have obtained state permits.
Also on Wednesday, Uber said it was prohibiting the use of its “Greyball” technology to target local regulators, ending a program that had been critical in helping Uber evade authorities in cities where the service has been banned.
