Following a day of nationwide protests by taxi drivers, France's interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve ordered a ban on Uber's peer-to-peer car-sharing service UberPOP. Cazeneuve said UberPOP, which allows drivers of all stripes to register their vehicle with Uber and transport paying customers, is "illegal," and he ordered police and prosecutors to enforce the service's closure and seize any cars defying the order. Uber officials have already said that they will continue offering the service until France's high court issues a ruling.
France's taxi drivers have lost between 30 and 40 percent of their income this year due to the surge of UberPOP, the BBC reports. Taxi drivers complain UberPOP drivers are not being held to the law that requires drivers carrying paying passengers to get a license, which costs taxi drivers thousands of euros to get. Rather, UberPOP allows drivers without professional licenses to simply register their cars and then transport passengers.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 sunny-side up cartoons about egg pricesCartoons Artists take on inflated prices, double standards, and more
-
'Swimming in the sky' in northern BrazilThe Week Recommends The pools of Lençóis Maranhenses are clear and blue
-
An ailing Pope Francis – and the vultures circling in the VaticanTalking Point Caught between his progressive inner circle and an influx of conservatism, the Holy Father should 'brace' himself for a battle
-
Trump says 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico start Feb. 1Speed Read The tariffs imposed on America's neighbors could drive up US prices and invite retaliation
-
Trump blames diversity, Democrats for DC air tragedySpeed Read The president suggested that efforts to recruit more diverse air traffic controllers contributed to the deadly air crash
-
White House withdraws Trump's spending freezeSpeed Read President Donald Trump's budget office has rescinded a directive that froze trillions of dollars in federal aid and sowed bipartisan chaos
-
OpenAI announces ChatGPT Gov for government useSpeed Read The artificial intelligence research company has launched a new version of its chatbot tailored for the US government
-
Caroline Kennedy urges Senate to reject RFK Jr.Speed Read Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s cousin said he should not become President Donald Trump's health secretary, calling his medical views 'dangerous'
-
GOP senator reneged on voting against HegsethSpeed Read North Carolina senator Thom Tillis provided the deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
-
Trump sparks chaos with spending, aid freezesSpeed Read A sudden freeze on federal grants and loans by President Donald Trump's administration has created widespread confusion
-
Trump feuds with Colombia on deportee flightsSpeed Read Colombia has backed off from a trade war with the U.S., reaching an agreement on accepting deported migrants following tariff threats from President Donald Trump
