Over prohibited – Who plays Taxi, Taxi must be – Süddeutsche.de

• The service Uber Pop, with the Uber private drivers conveyed to passengers, should soon be banned in Germany.
• Uber may then convey no private transport services more in Germany, if the driver does not have a taxi concession have.
• It is not yet the judgment is final. Thus, the prohibition temporarily,

demanded the chamber of Taxi Germany a security over EUR 400 000.

By Jan Willmroth

The process had just begun, there was little doubt like it going would. On Wednesday morning, the presiding judge at the Frankfurt district court clearly positioned: The Dispatcher broker Over against the law, Joachim Nickel said. And so it came about that the next round in the battle of the taxi industry was decidedly against the new competitors from California to four and a half hours. The service Uber Pop, with which the company provides private drivers to passengers willing to pay, should soon be banned in Germany.

About must therefore offer no more journeys where the driver does not have a taxi license. Ubers offer is anticompetitive in its current form, the court found. Should the judge’s decision to continue, it would be the end for the core of Ubers business model; the applicant cooperative Taxi Germany had thus reached their goal.

It is not yet the judgment is final. Thus, the prohibition temporarily, demanded the chamber of Taxi Germany a security over EUR 400 000. “The deposit will be immediately and bring the judgment for enforcement,” said a spokeswoman for the network. About announced immediately, to appeal to the Court of Appeal. As long as the judgment is not enforceable, the company is able to offer its services in Frankfurt and Munich in the usual way on, it said. In Hamburg, Dusseldorf and Berlin Uber Pop is according to official prohibitions and judgments anyway only very limited availability.

Taxi Germany had been preparing for this day, after Uber in September a restraining order against him for technical reasons could tip over. No sooner had the judge decided that the taxi composite sent cheers, was its chairman Dieter Schlenker tear into competitors’ Ubers business model is based on breach of the law. ” The court has strengthened the Passenger Transport Act and therefore the consumer rights. “It would be good if Uber omitted next instance and the courts are not employed unnecessarily.”

How fast is the car service provider but do not give up – this is about spending too much money. Germany is an important market for the company. Therefore Uber squandered a few minutes to respond with the usual pathos to the judgment. We regret the decision of the District Court of Frankfurt, “On not giving the opportunity to contribute to better and cheaper mobility”. It was a defeat for the society as a whole

brings together private driver and passengers: the app Uber. The company also provides a limousine service and taxi transfer.

(Photo: Britta Pedersen / dpa )

In the choice of words there is also the crux of the legal position of Californians with which they now fail once again at the Passenger Transport Act: It was clearly not a carrier, but a technologically innovative software company. Uber is only an intermediary and bring together the driver and passengers. Ostensibly About occurs so as a company that wants to revolutionize urban mobility – when it comes to legal issues, we want but rather just a technology provider of mobility services and not be. Anyone who has ever used Uber Pop, will know that the app allows you to offer the driver the first place.

Nevertheless, Uber has officially complained a few weeks ago with this reasoning at the EU Commission, the Federal Republic of Germany , The document is available to the Süddeutsche Zeitung , Uber requested confidential treatment – the local authorities should not know who complains because in Brussels on German laws and their interpretation. In the 33-page paper is Uber refers to the period specified in the Lisbon Treaty to provide services and freedom of establishment and the Directive on electronic commerce. Since Uber is not a passenger transport operators, it is discriminated against disproportionate. More importantly, the company accuses the courts to agree on the content and timing of their procedures. German authorities and courts have Ubers business model “is announced to protect the monopoly taxi and the taxi entrepreneur from foreign competition battle”. After SZ Information About the EU has complaint – also with the desire of secrecy – raised in the proceedings against Germany taxi. The judges obviously impressed not.

The judgment comes for Uber to an already difficult time. Around the globe, the company carries out processes and has problems with the authorities. As it was announced on Wednesday, the French police have raided on Monday, the France-seat Ubers in Paris to “illegal organization” to investigate a suspected customers into contact with motorists.