- BY CHLOE ALBANESIUS
- DECEMBER 9, 2014
Portland has filed suit against Uber, just as the app-based car service is banned in Spain and Thailand
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Uber's lawyers will certainly be busy this week.
After the app-based car service launched illegally in Portland last week, the city has hit back with a lawsuit. And today, officials in Spain and Thailand banned Uber.
All that, meanwhile, follows a suspension of service in New Delhi, India after a female passenger accused her Uber driver of rape.
In Spain, a judge today said that Uber drivers "lack the administrative authorization to carry out the job, and the activity they carry out constitutes unfair competition,"according to the BBC. The move came after complaints from the Madrid Taxi Association.
In Thailand, meanwhile, the country's Department of Land Transport took issue with the fact that drivers did not have the proper registration to operate commercial vehicles, as well as Uber's payment-processing system, Al Jazeera America said.
Back in the U.S., the City of Portland on Monday filed suit and requested that the judge ban Uber until it is in compliance with local laws.
"Our main concern is public health and safety, because the state invested in the cities the responsibility to do that," Portland Mayor Charlie Hales said in a statement. "Beyond that, though, is the issue of fairness. Taxi cab companies follow rules on public health and safety. So do hotels and restaurants and construction companies and scores of other service providers. Because everyone agrees: good regulations make for a safer community. Uber disagrees, so we're seeking a court injunction."
Uber attempted to launch legally in Portland, but when it could not come to an agreement with officials, it started offering service illegally. The city's Transportation Bureau has since issued two civil penalties: one for operating without a company permit and another for operating without a vehicle permit.
It appears city officials are trying to catch Uber in the act, as a press release mentioned that Uber drivers accepted and then cancelled two rides requested by Portland Bureau of Transportation enforcement officials on Friday night.
In a Friday blog post, Uber said that it was "time to try and bring Uber everywhere – even the cities where we know it's going to be a tough challenge, but where residents have made their voices heard loud and clear – they want job generation, they want choice, they want competition."
"We're eager to work with City and State leaders to bring the impact of the Uber platform to Portland and cut down on drunk driving, serve underserved communities, increase transit to small business and help drive the local economy," Uber concluded.
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