The conflict between Uber and France takes another turn with the news that the company will suspend UberPOP from 8pm (France time) today. The ride-sharing outfit has suffered plenty of protest from taxi drivers, who have attacked cars and drivers in recent weeks. In order to protect the safety of both the company’s personnel and passengers, Uber has agreed to halt operations until at least September 30th. That’s when the nation’s constitutional court will rule on if a decision to ban the service was legal.
“The main factor here is not coercion, but violence” according to Uber France CEO Thibaut Simphal, who was speaking to Le Monde. The executive is currently awaiting trial in the country after being arrested on charges of running UberPOP as an illegal taxi service. The reason for the hostility is down to the fact that taxi drivers pay a high fee for a license to pick up passengers on the street. Uber, meanwhile, blurs the line between a private hire vehicle and a taxi, which has left the incumbents feeling threatened. Unfortunately, this has led to some truly stupid people taking their protests far too far, as you can see in the clip below.
Filed under: Transportation
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Via: TechCrunch
Source: Uber France (Translated), Le Monde