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Laura Dale via PA
bump in the road

EU court says Uber is taxi service and can be regulated

The firm claimed it was just a service provider and not a taxi company.

THE EU’S TOP court has ruled that Uber is an ordinary transport service and not just a ride-hailing app, meaning that countries can regulate it.

“The service provided by Uber connecting individuals with non-professional drivers is covered by services in the field of transport,”  the European Court of Justice said in a case brought by a Spanish taxi drivers’ association.

“Member states can therefore regulate the conditions for providing that service.”

Uber’s operations in Ireland is already subject to regulation.

The case is yet another thorn in the side for scandal-rocked Uber, which has drawn the fury of local taxi drivers and officials for flouting local regulations.

It also comes the same week as one of its drivers admitted to the attempted rape and murder of a British embassy worker coming home from a night out in Beirut, Lebanon.

Uber, the biggest name in the growing gig economy, claims it is a mere service provider, connecting consumers with drivers in more than 600 cities.

But it has run into huge opposition from taxi companies and other competitors who say this allows it to dodge costly regulations such as training and licensing requirements for drivers and vehicles.

© AFP 2017

Read: Uber covered up massive hack that stole personal information of more than 57 million drivers and customers >

Read: Uber’s ride-sharing plans for Ireland may have suffered their final setback >

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