Uber has once again found itself running afoul of a government, this time in a form of a ban on the company's UberPop service in France.
The New York Times reported that the Euro nation has moved to kill off the controversial Uber ride-sharing service in France following pressure from professional taxi drivers and their industry associations.
UberPop works like UberX in other countries: customers order a ride through the app and have another person available pick them up in their personal car and take them to a destination for a small fee.
Because UberPop billed itself as a ride-sharing service, and not as commercial car-for-hire service, it claimed was not subject to the restrictions and requirements for commercial cars in France. The San Francisco-headquartered upstart had previously won a court case challenging the service in Paris.
In France, Uber and UberX drivers are professionals with permits to operate commercial cars-for-hire – taxis you must book in advance as opposed to cabs you can jump in off the street.
Meanwhile, UberPop drivers can be anyone with a motor and spare time on their hands. If you travel with Uber, you get a better car than an UberX ride, and with UberPop, you take what you get.
In response, city officials claimed UberPop was effectively operating as an unlicensed taxi service. Similar charges have been made against UberX services in cities around the world as taxi authorities and local governments have fought against the startup.
A new law in France, set to take effect January 1, will extend the taxi permit requirements to any driver who gives a ride for profit, meaning UberPop will no longer be legal.
Uber can still operate its Uber and UberX services in France as normal, because those two services are subject to other rules, such as a mandatory 15-minute waiting period between booking and pick up, which are designed to distinguish them as cars-for-hire from taxi cabs. ®
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