Ride-sharing service Uber is good for two things: catching a ride in a more convenient way than hailing a taxi in some cities, and pissing people off. They've done the latter just about everywhere, the latest example being in Germany, where their service was banned outright by a regional court.
Does this mean Germans won't be able to Uber about anymore? Of course not. Uber says they plan to ignore this court ruling pending an appeal and keep on Uber-ing as long as they have customers who wish to Uber. (Can that be used as a verb?)
Wired UK reports that a case was brought before the Frankfurt Regional Court by a taxi organization that alleged the startup lacked the correct permits to operate in Berlin.
The court issued an injunction on drivers who use the Uber and UberPop app after it ruled they weren't properly licensed, and said the startup could face a fine if it continues. Without those licenses drives can only charge the operating cost of the trip, which is basically the gas used, and not the full normal Uber fare.
But Uber doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. From a spokesman quoted in the Wired report:
"We will continue to operate in Germany and will appeal the recent lawsuit filed by Taxi Deutschland in Frankfurt," he said. "You cannot put the brakes on progress. Uber will continue its operations and will offer UberPop ridesharing services via its app throughout Germany."
In just about every country in which they operate, Uber has been accused of unfair competition with taxi companies and operating a driving service without going through the red tape required by their more traditional counterparts. (There's also accusations of price gouging and playing dirty against competitors, too, among other criticisms.)
But as the BBC reports, Uber plans to expand its German operation and people keep on using the app despite the injunction, so don't expect the ride-sharing to stop anytime soon.