In what looked like a losing battle for traditional taxi drivers given decisions made by regulators in London and beyond about Uber’s ride-sharing service, a Paris court has made a surprise ruling that the company has been breaking the law.
The court ruled that Uber has been touting for business in the same way as a taxi, getting hailed down at the side of the road, which is not allowed unless part of a regulated firm.
In the midst of a second day of protests by taxi drivers in the country, villain Uber has now been ordered to pay a €1.2 million fine.
In a long-standing row, the UberPop service – UberX to other parts of the world – was banned back in 2014 by the French authorities and was then suspended by the company itself last year during similar taxi driver protests.
The <3 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
Both times it was eventually reinstated.
➤ French court ‘orders Uber to compensate’ Paris taxi rival [BBC]
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.