DutchNews.nl, December 8,
2014
Taxi app Uberpop, which allows
private individuals to operate as taxis, remains banned in the Netherlands, the
company appeal court said on Monday.
Uber was appealing against a lower court
decision which said the app breaks current taxi licencing laws.
Uberpop allows
anyone to register as a driver and offer taxi services. Four drivers in
Amsterdam have already been fined €1,500 each for breaking the taxi law and
face a further €10,000 fine if they do it again.
The court ruled that drivers
are practising an ‘economic activity’ and there is no question that they are
operating a carpooling system, as Uber claims.
In addition, because Uber claims
20% of the drivers’ earnings, it cannot simply be seen as a supplier of
technology, the court said.
In a reaction, Uber said it would continue to
operate its Uberpop service in the Netherlands pending a further appeal.
‘This
ruling was made on the basis of an old law from 2000. Then there were no
smartphones and other innovative ways of guaranteeing quality,’ the company
said. ‘We will continue to offer Uberpop so as not to stop the renewal process
we have set in motion.’
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