Not quite über alles, it turns out…
The Smartphone app that help millions around the globe get better taxi services, known worldwide as Uber, have been banned in Germany, based on a district court ruling in Frankfurt, EurActiv Germany reports.
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After protesting tirelessly for many months all over Germany, taxi drivers yesterday won a victory against the start-up.
But the ruling has not phased the Americans who made Uber. “Uber will continue its operations and will offer Uberpop ridesharing services via its app throughout Germany, ” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
“You cannot put the brakes on progress, ” Michel Doermer, a spokesman for Uber, said in Frankfurt.
Uber was founded as UberCab by Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick in 2009.
Last week, Frankfurt’s district court issued a temporary injunction that prohibited Uber from conducting passenger transport throughout Germany. And yesterday, the decision was released, specifying that the taxi services arranged by Uber are a violation of Germany’s Passenger Transportation Act (Personenbeförderungsgesetz).
Once again those Americans come here and mess with our Personenbeförderungsgesetz.
The Judges pinned their decision on the claim that drivers working under Uber’s program do not have a livery license, which requires a health exam.
They’re not fighting competition, see, they’re only worried about people’s health.
Unlike traditional German taxi companies, Uber does not have a fleet of drivers. Instead, the service is able to offers lower costs by directly connecting individual drivers with individual passengers via the smartphone app. No overhead.
But that, apparently, screws up that whole Personenbeförderungsgesetz thing.
Uber intends to challenge the ruling and “exploit all possibilities for appeal.” Until then, the company said it would continue to offer its transportation services throughout Germany, which has been one of the fastest growing markets in Europe for the company, with the business growing by 500% this year.
