A GERMAN COURT has banned Uber from offering its ridesharing service nationwide, adding to the company’s troubles in Europe.
Frankfurt state court spokesman Arne Hasse said the ruling banning the UberPop service from offering rides with drivers who don’t have taxi permits was issued Wednesday. The ruling can be appealed.
The ruling stems from a suit brought against Uber by a German taxi association, which was heard in Frankfurt because it is one of several German cities where Uber launched operations.
The court issued an injunction banning Uber from operating last summer but lifted it a few weeks later, saying that while it considered Uber’s practices illegal an emergency injunction wasn’t justified.
Uber also has hit trouble in the Netherlands, Spain and France, which has effectively banned its service.
On Monday, French police raided Uber’s office in Paris as part of its investigation into UberPop. Emails, documents and smartphones used by its drivers were seized as part of the investigation.
Controversy has followed the ridesharing company since it was founded in 2009. Recent incidents included ‘God View’ which could facilitate spying and one of its executives suggesting the company may smear journalists who had criticised Uber in the past.
The company now has a valuation of €32.3 billion after it raised $1.2 billion in funding in December 2014. When the new value was announced, the company’s founder and CEO Travis Kalanick said its growth “had also come with significant growing pains” and that planned changes would “lead to a smarter and more humble company”.
Additional reporting by Quinton O’Reilly
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