German court bans Uber’s main service

The internet-based transport company Uber may no longer use its app to connect customers with rental car drivers in Germany, according to a court order.

The service UberX violates the passenger transport law, the regional court of Cologne ruled after a Cologne taxi operator had sued the company, demanding an injunction be placed on it.

The sticking point in the case is the question of how Uber drivers get their fares: The Passenger Transportation Act stipulates, among other things, that rental car drivers – in contrast to taxis – may only pick up fares “which have been received at the company headquarters or in the home of the entrepreneur.”

Uber had written to its business partners – rental car companies that use the Uber app – that the business must run according to this act.

In its ruling, however, the court complained that a driver is able to accept a fare independent of instructions from the company headquarters.

This violates the Passenger Transportation Act, the court decided.

The service UberX plays a central role for the U.S. company. For customers, this service has a similar function to taxi rides.

Uber in part also acts as a broker for trips with classic taxis.

The decision was made in July, but has only just been made public due to delays in the notification: The injunction and the prohibition only apply after notification has been successfully delivered.

According to a court spokesman, Uber had refused to accept the injunction at its European headquarters in Amsterdam because no translation had been sent for the German document.

Whether a second delivery including a translation has now been made was unclear.