Germany bans Uber taxi service
Taxi service Uber has been prevented from operating in Germany in the latest shot in a fight with the country’s taxi drivers.
The state court in Frankfurt issued an injunction, meaning that Uber cannot offer its services without a specific permit under German transport laws.
The injunction applies pending a full hearing of a suit brought against Uber by a German group that offers a taxi-ordering app.
The ruling comes after Berlin authorities barred Uber from operating in the capital last month because of safety concerns.
Their arguments were in line with those of established cab companies which claim Uber’s app-based services, which offer limousines and pickups by private drivers, dodge rules that ordinary taxi firms have to abide by.
Black cab drivers in London have protested about California-based Uber, claiming its app contravenes rules that restrict the use of taxi meters. Protests have also taken place in Paris and Madrid.
