Paris: The UberPop transport service will be forbidden in France beginning January 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."
"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.
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.
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.
Uber has continued to operate the service pending appeal.
In a statement, the president of the union Taxi de France, Ibrahim Sylla, 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," Sylla wrote.
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."
Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Advertisement
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.
The court said the emergency request was unjustified and said any further actions to ban the service should be examined in a criminal court.
Advertisement
Uber has continued to operate the service pending appeal.
Advertisement
"Come out in mass to defend our work, it's an important moment," Sylla wrote.
© Thomson Reuters 2014
COMMENTS
Advertisement
35% Of Indian Doctors, Mostly Women, Feel Unsafe During Night Shifts: Study "Not The Change Women Are Seeking": CEO Slams 'No Night Duty' Rule "Pledge To Ensure Women's Safety": President Murmu's Message On Rakshabandhan Kalpana Chawla's Death Weighed On NASA In Sunita Williams Decision S Jaishankar's Assurance As Indian Girl Taken Away From Parents In Germany "Stand Up, Be A Man": Shobhaa De Asks Mohanlal To Act On Kerala #MeToo Brazil's Supreme Court Orders Suspension Of Elon Musk's X Amid Row J&K Orders Transfer Of 7 Police Officers Following Poll Body Directive Explosive Trump Biopic To Hit US Theaters Before Election: Reports Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.