Uber Banned in Germany, Says It Will Continue to Operate Anyway

Uber was banned in Germany late last week, but a spokesperson said the ridesharing company will flaunt the court injunction by continuing its normal operations during the appeals process.

"Germany is one of the fastest growing markets for Uber in Europe. We will continue to operate in Germany and will appeal the recent lawsuit filed by Taxi Deutschland in Frankfurt," the company said in a statement, TechCrunch reported Tuesday.

"We believe innovation and competition is good for everyone, riders and drivers, everyone wins. You cannot put the brakes on progress. Uber will continue its operations and will offer Uberpop ridesharing services via its app throughout Germany."

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The suit was brought by the German taxi co-operative Taxi Deutschland. Co-op chairman Dieter Schlenker, was critical of both Uber and its investors, which includes Google.

"The Passenger Transport Act regulates the protection of drivers and consumers," he said. "That can’t easily be overturned no matter how neoliberal the company. Uber operates with billions in cash from Goldman Sachs and Google, wraps itself in a Startup-Look and sells itself as a New Economy savior."

The Passenger Transport Act covers a number of regulations, including insurance requirements, vehicle maintenance checks, and driver training. Uber stands accused of failing to meet the required thresholds on several regulations, or failing to prove it meets them.

The New York Times noted that the court order specifies that drivers will not be punished during the injunction period, and that all penalties — which could include fines and jail time — will be reserved for local corporate employees and executives.

Uber has recently been valued at $17 billion, and operates in more than 100 cities in 45 countries. It has faced legal challenges from municipal transit authorities and taxi unions in many cities.

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