10th October 2014 16:58 clock

Uber-App in use (Archive)

Uber-app in use (Archive) | © Jens Büttner / dpa

As a result of the recent legal defeats, the transport service provider Uber lowered his carriage charge by its own account to a level below the local operating costs for cars. A ride on the Uberpop app that gives passengers on private drivers, costs accordingly in Berlin and Hamburg only 35 cents per kilometer.

At the same time the company called his driver and user support on . “Outdated laws” threatened the services of the company and made more competitive impossible Uber wrote in a blog entry.

By adjusting the prices hoping Uber from which to rotate the character of the offer of a taxi competition towards a Carpool and so to escape the provisions of the Passenger Transport Act. The prohibitions in Hamburg and Berlin, the judges had taken especially offended by the fare with reference to the law. This should the operating costs of the car does not exceed, otherwise Uber must hold a concession under the Passenger Transport Act.

The taxi industry is Uberpop despite the new focus remains critical. The swing was “not honest or credible,” said Dieter Schlenker, honorary chairman of the cooperative taxi Germany. “Uber saw that it ‘Taxi’ can not,” he said. It would be more honest if Uber would take his app from the market and set a new service.

in new pay the taxi driver skeptical. A price of 35 cents per kilometer can not be designated for each journey as an operating cost allowance, taxi criticized Germany. Depending on the vehicle type, it would seriously lower. Uberpop remain therefore illegal.

What is Uber?

Uber was founded in 2009 by Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick in San Francisco. The company provides on the Internet and via smartphone apps driving services. At Uber Black, customers are picked up by a limo and driver; about UberPop offer private driver rides in her own car to. Uber earned it by being the service fee collected 20 percent of the fare. Since 2013 Uber is also active in Germany

There is now the company says in more than 200 cities in 45 countries. behind Uber are great financiers such as the U.S. bank Goldman Sachs and Google Ventures.

In many cities, taxi drivers, however, fight back. They complain that Uber bypasses the legal guidelines for taxis and therefore the rides can offer cheaper – therefore fear the taxi industry, to be replaced by Uber. In the United States next to a raging battle with rivals such as the start-up Lyft. Both companies accusing each other before, poach driver and make reservations at each other and later to cancel again to harm the rivals.

chronology of the dispute
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7th February 2013: Uber launches in Germany. Berlin is the fifth largest city in Europe after Paris, London, Amsterdam and Stockholm.

15th April 2014: Uber launches in Germany next to the limousine service Uber Black Uberpop the service, can offer through the private people rides. This laid the foundation for the fierce confrontation with the taxi trade is placed.

20th April 2014: Uber continues to expand in Germany. Apart from Frankfurt am Main is the service gradually in Dusseldorf, Cologne and Hamburg at the start.

11th June 2014: Thousands of taxi drivers protest in several European cities against Uber and other new competitors from the Internet. In Berlin, 450 drivers participate according to the police with her car at a rally for the Olympic Stadium. In cities such as London, Paris or Barcelona, ​​traffic is blocked.

23rd July 2014: The Hamburger economic authority prohibits the Uberpop service, the company places a contradiction and makes further

13.. August 2014:. The Berlin Senate prohibits the Uber-operation, the company offers its services but also continue to

26th August 2014: Uber announces another to “major expansion” in Germany. Even in 2014 Uber would start in Cologne and Stuttgart. May come Other cities such as Nuremberg, Bonn, Essen, Dortmund and Potsdam added.

27th August 2014: The Administrative Court of Hamburg decided for Uber: The prohibition of Hamburg’s economy Authority is not lawful for formal reasons. The authority is not competent.

28th August 2014: The Frankfurt Regional Court prohibited the Uber-service nationwide by Provisional available. Taxi Germany had made the request to do so.

second September 2014: Uber announces opposition to the Frankfurter decision and provides both the limousine service as well Uberpop still in its app on, despite an impending fine of up to € 250,000 per violation

. 11th September 2014: The Frankfurt Regional Court prohibited to accept a single Uber-driver, transportation wishes about Uberpop against a predetermined fee, without having a passenger transport license. Should he do, a fine of up to 250,000 euros could be due.

16th September 2014: In a hearing, the District Court Frankfurt raises his injunction by the end of August. On the merits, the injunction was indeed been lawful, the court ruled. But there is no reason to dispute do it by express decision. Uber may further passengers to private driver vermitteln.Taxi Germany announces revision to.

The taxi industry defends itself for some time against the offers of Uber and in particular against the service Uberpop because the private drivers have no official license to carry passengers. She accuses the company from unfair competition. In court, taxi drivers erwirkten bans against private Uber-driver. A nation-wide injunction of the Frankfurt Regional Court against Uberpop but was suspended for technical reasons.