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Ride-sharing service Uber has exited the French market following taxi driver protests, a ban by the French interior minister, and the arrest of two managers:
Following a week of increasingly violent clashes with traditional taxi drivers, the San Francisco-based company announced that its popular Uberpop service would be suspended from 8pm tonight and would no longer appear on users' app lists.
'In recent weeks intimidation and violent aggression by an out-of-control minority, where drivers and users of Uberpop were ambushed, has increased in France. Uber does not want to put drivers or passengers at risk, so for the sake of peace has decided to suspend Uberpop,' said the company in a statement. However, the service is in fact illegal in France. Last week, Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, general manager for Western Europe, and Thibaud Simphal, general manager of Uber France, were arrested. They will have their day in court in September.
Uber said it hoped to be back up and running as soon as possible. It thanked the "thousands of men and women from Lille to Marseille, via Paris, Bordeaux or Lyon who participated with enthusiasm in the urban transport revolution".
(Score: 2) by CortoMaltese on Saturday July 04 2015, @03:29PM
In "third world countries" Easy Taxi seems to be booming, you request the taxi though the app, it assigns the closest one to you, and you can see the name and car of the driver, as well as his number plate, photo and cellphone number, no need to be carrying cash as you can pay though your smartphone, very convenient indeed.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday July 04 2015, @03:48PM
Yes, digital dispatch and hailing.
Illegal in France and an amazing number of American cities.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.