Uber uses private chauffeurs for its ride-sharing operations (Photo: Uber)
A Frankfurt court has overturned an earlier verdict banning Uber from conducting business in Germany. The California-based ride-sharing services is free to continue operations in Germany for the time being.
The verdict was largely based on a procedural flaw. Originally, a local court had decided that there was an urgent need to stop Uber. But the new court decision concluded that, because Taxi Deutschland hadn’t acted promptly with its complaint, such urgency wasn’t warranted. Taxi Deutschland is a nationwide cooperative of taxi companies.
The taxi association said in a statement that it would appeal the decision. “The court was of the opinion that there was no need to act urgently,” it said. “We cannot understand this decision.”
The group also noted that the courts agree that Uber’s business model violates German law because the private Uber chauffeurs don’t have licenses to transport people.