Uber, the company offering its users the possibility to order a professional or occasional taxi service through their smartphones, is under a lot of fire lately. After being banned due to rape allegations in Delhi, India, being hassled in Portland, Oregon and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, now the company was ordered to cease its operations in Spain and Thailand.
The injunction imposed in the company in Spain is the result of a complaint filed by the Madrid Taxi Association. A valid court order bans the company from offering its services – the Spanish cab company organization plans to start a court case against it. Uber started working in Spain this spring, initially launching its service in Barcelona in April, extending it to Madrid and Valencia this October. The service was controversial from the start, as local taxi drivers saw the service as a competitor with the potential to put them out of business, and that it was not properly regulated, nor safe. Uber was not even present in the Spanish court, thus not having a chance to defend itself.
Thailand’s Department of Transportation has also ordered Uber to cease its operations, this time over its lack of compliance with local regulations. The reasons for the ban were that the drivers registered in the service were not insured, not registered and not licensed to drive commercial vehicles. Besides, the company’s credit card system was also not in compliance with local laws. Drivers who fail to comply with the ban will be fined – they will have to pay the equivalent of $61 at this time, but the Department is working on higher fines at the moment.
The launch of Uber on the local market was not well received by local taxi companies which consider the service as unfair competition. The service has even sparked protests in major European cities, like Paris and London. The company was previously served several cease and desist orders in various US states.