It seems that the tide is turning in some cities for Uber as the City of Berlin has banned the company from operating by Berlin’s State Department of Civil and Regulatory Affairs.
The full statement from the city is available at http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/aktuell/pressebox/archiv_volltext.shtml?arch_1408/nachricht5326.html (German), Google Translation in English
Uber commenced operations in Berlin in February 2014, but now faces a ban based on what Berlin says are “Passenger Safety grounds”, with wording to the effect:
“(the) licensing authority can not tolerate that this goes in the context of requiring approval of passenger transport in the care of non-approved drivers in unlicensed vehicles and is subject to a disclaimer of insurance in case of damage.
This is being enforced with companies threatened with €25,000 fines for each violation, with the drivers to face a fine of €20,000.
This affects other Uber-like taxi companies who operate in the area.
As you can guess, Uber isn’t overly happy about this, and will challenge the ruling, stating
“The decision from the Berlin authorities is not progressive and it’s seeking to limit consumer choice for all the wrong reasons”
Uber has come into conflict with various authorities – most recently with London Taxi Drivers taking action again them as well as Seoul’s City Council unhappy with the company and how it operates.
For those who appreciate the choice that having an operator like Uber brings you, this is another city you’ll be Uberless in.
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Typical taxi union bullying and rigid German bureaucracy trying to protect their turf!