Court Orders Uber To Shut Down In Spain

An anonymous reader writes with word that a Spanish judge, after complaints from taxi associations that the competition Uber brings to the transportation market is unfair to existing firms' drivers, has ordered the company to cease operations in the country. From the BBC article: In his ruling on the temporary ban, the judge said Uber drivers didn't have official authorisation to drive their cars and was "unfair competition." The move follows a complaint by the Madrid Taxi Association. The Spanish ban comes just a day after Uber was blacklisted in the Indian capital Delhi. Drivers "lack the administrative authorisation to carry out the job, and the activity they carry out constitutes unfair competition," the Spanish court services said in a statement after the ruling. In Thailand, too. And stateside, the government of Portland, Oregon thinks Uber's a big enough threat to justify a sting operation. Business Insider's keeping score.

Comments

The damage is done

[HalAtWork]

The situation has been exposed: traditional taxi services have been suffering from a monopoly position, and there is clearly room for competition that reworks their model into something more fair for the drivers, and as a good opportunity for a startup that wants to make it happen. The demand is there, it just takes a group with the right plan to capitalize on the opportunity.