Ahead of Taxi Protest, France Says UberPop to be Banned

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 15 December 2014 20:01 IST
The UberPop transport service will be forbidden in France beginning Jan. 1, the French interior ministry said on Monday, the latest regulatory hurdle for the controversial car service company.

The announcement came as taxi unions called a one-day action to protest San Francisco-based Uber, vowing to block 260 km (160 miles) of roads around Paris with slowly moving taxi motorcades during the morning rush hour.

Brandet said a law voted this year that takes effect in 2015 and regulates the taxi industry and chauffeured cars "is even more constrictive for these types of businesses."

Advertisement

"Not only is it illegal to offer this service but additionally for the consumer there is a real danger," ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told iTELE, citing the inadequate insurance of drivers.

Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Advertisement

Highly regulated taxi drivers have protested that Uber, which allows users to summon taxi-like services from their smartphones, has hit their business unfairly as it has expanded rapidly over the four years since its launch.

On Friday, a commercial court in Paris refused to hear a lawsuit brought by Uber's competitors that sought to ban UberPop on the grounds of unfair competition.

Advertisement

The court said the emergency request was unjustified and said any further actions to ban the service should be examined in a criminal court.

Uber's French subsidiary was fined 100,000 euros in October for fraudulent business practices, with a court finding that it advertised UberPop as a car pool instead of a paid transportation service.

Advertisement

Uber has continued to operate the service pending appeal.

In a statement, the president of the union Taxi de France called on taxi drivers to react with "fervour and firmness to this injustice."

"Come out in mass to defend our work, it's an important moment," President Ibrahim Sylla wrote.

© Thomson Reuters 2014

 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: Apps, Taxi Service, Taxi app, Uber, UberPop
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. OnePlus Could Launch a New Budget Smartphone Lineup in India Soon
  2. Tik Tik Tik on OTT: Streaming Details, Plot, Cast, Crew and Reception
  3. Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Gets More Secure With Latest Wear OS Patches
  4. iOS 27 Release Date and How to Update: Supported iPhones
  5. Redmi Turbo 5 Battery, Camera Details Teased Ahead of Launch
  6. Samsung Galaxy A18 Reportedly Appears on Test Servers Ahead of Debut
  7. Apple Unveils iOS 27 With Revamped Siri and Liquid Glass Improvements
  8. Vivo Y31s Launched in Malaysia With These Features
  1. Lava Bold N2 5G Goes on Sale in India With 6,000mAh Battery, 6.75-Inch Display: Price, Offers
  2. Nintendo Has Announced a 50-Minute Nintendo Direct Broadcast for June 9
  3. Sam Bankman-Fried Seeks Presidential Pardon From US President Donald Trump
  4. Samsung Galaxy A18 Reportedly Listed on Samsung's Test Servers With One UI 9 Ahead of Anticipated Debut
  5. Instagram Lets Users Reorder Their Profile Grid With New Customisation Feature
  6. Apple's First iOS 27 Beta Reportedly Contains Various Clues About Its Purported Foldable iPhone
  7. Honor X80 Pro Max in Development With Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 SoC and 11,000mAh Battery, Tipster Claims
  8. Redmi Turbo 5 India Variant to Feature Slightly Smaller Battery Than Chinese Version
  9. WWDC 2026: Apple Announces Custom EQ Feature for AirPods With iOS 27 Update
  10. Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, Watch 7 Get May 2026 Wear OS Update With Security Fixes
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.