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Dutch Prosecutors Launch Criminal Investigation Against Uber For Flouting Ban

An anonymous reader writes Dutch prosecutors have announced that they are prosecuting taxi-hailing giant Uber for continuing to disregard last December's ban on the company offering its unlicensed UberPOP service in the Netherlands. The statement declares 'The company Uber is now a suspect...This means a preliminary examination will be started to collect evidence that Uber is providing illegal transportation on a commercial basis,'. Dutch police presented evidence to the prosecutors of UberPOP drivers in Amsterdam ignoring the ban, and at the time of writing the UberPOP service is still available via Uber's Amsterdam website [https://www.uber.com/cities/amsterdam]. Though Uber inspires new litigation on a weekly basis in the territories in which it is seeking to consolidate its services, this is the first time it has been the subject of a criminal prosecution.

5 of 48 comments (clear)

  1. Whats Worse, Uber Drivers or Taxi Drivers? by linearZ · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I can't wait for the day they are all replaced by robots.

    --
    Revolution is the opium of the intellectuals.
  2. Re:What's bad about Uber drivers? by linearZ · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a passenger, you may find them great. But then again, you probably don't have to deal with Uber SUV's right hooking you on a bike, or Lincoln town cars parked in the middle of the road, creating gridlock for blocks behind them. In my town, Uber drivers have become just as much as an entitled dipshits as Taxi drivers, maybe more so.

    I will welcome our robot Uberlords.

    --
    Revolution is the opium of the intellectuals.
  3. Re:What's bad about Uber drivers? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Most taxi drivers I have encountered on the other hand, have ranged from standoffish to incredibly rude and sometimes hostile, frequently lying about fares to get more money.

    Let me ask you, in which countries have you taken taxis?

    I am American, but live in Germany. I have traveled on business to many different European countries. I have rode in taxis in England(Winchester,Southampton), the Netherlands (Delft), France (Nice, Paris), Belgium (Brussels), Greece (Samos), Switzerland (Zurich), Turkey(Istanbul), and just about every which where in Germany. I have never had a negative experience.

    I am always polite to the driver, never condescending, and friendly. Guess what? The taxi driver always pays back in kind.

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  4. I wish we did this in the US by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Being able to name a company as a suspect and file criminal charges against it would be amazing. Instead of just fining a company 0.001% of its annual net income, actually put some of these criminals into jail.

    Foreclosed somebody's house "by accident" even though it was already paid off? That's felony theft of $250,000, treat the company like you would treat any individual who did that, no little $5,000 fine, someone needs to go to jail.

    A corporate death penalty would be nice too for the big fuckups.

  5. Re:Haven't used it... but these laws are ridicules by jklovanc · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We should not have to register vehicles, obtain drivers licenses, social security numbers, license plates, or submit to other forms of identification.

    How do can you identify the owner of a vehicle and whether or not it has been stolen without registration? How do you verify that a person knows how to drive and the rules of the road without driver's licenses? How do you confirm that a person is who they say they are without a social security number? How do you identify a vehicle that has left the scene of an accident without a license plate?

    It's not impossible to arrest someone for committing murder in a system without driver licenses or taxi licenses.

    "Impossible" is a pretty high standard. There are also other lesser crimes that are much better dealt with from a license number rather than a name. Do you know how many Bob Smiths there are?

    As a human being we should have a right to run a business without interference unless our actions are interfering with the rights of others.

    How do you identify a person who has interfered with the rights of others and is no longer allowed to run the business?

    You don't have a right to pollute the waters, but you do have a right to drive people without being licensed.

    Where is this "right" written down? Who has agreed this is a "right"? Oh right, this would be your opinion. Too bad it is not the opinion of most people.

    At the same time people have the right to refuse business with unlicensed drivers.

    So every passenger would have to checks the driver's license, registration, insurance and inspection report before getting into a cab? That is why there are taxi licenses so the passenger can be sure that these checks have already been done.