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| France cracks down on Uber service after protests | France cracks down on Uber service after protests |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| France's interior minister has ordered a ban on the low-cost car-sharing service UberPOP after a day of nationwide protests by taxi drivers. | France's interior minister has ordered a ban on the low-cost car-sharing service UberPOP after a day of nationwide protests by taxi drivers. |
| Bernard Cazeneuve said the service was "illegal" and ordered police and prosecutors to enforce its closure. | Bernard Cazeneuve said the service was "illegal" and ordered police and prosecutors to enforce its closure. |
| His announcement followed a day of sometimes violent protests by French taxi drivers, who say the US-based firm Uber is stealing their livelihoods. | His announcement followed a day of sometimes violent protests by French taxi drivers, who say the US-based firm Uber is stealing their livelihoods. |
| US rock singer Courtney Love Cobain was caught up in the unrest. | US rock singer Courtney Love Cobain was caught up in the unrest. |
| She tweeted her frustration, saying her taxi had been ambushed as she left the airport. | She tweeted her frustration, saying her taxi had been ambushed as she left the airport. |
| The musician shared an image of the window of her car spattered with egg, and thanking two motorcyclists she said rescued her. | The musician shared an image of the window of her car spattered with egg, and thanking two motorcyclists she said rescued her. |
| Windows smashed | |
| Uber officials have insisted they will continue their activities until France's highest court rules on the service - an attitude Mr Cazeneuve called "cynical and arrogant". | |
| Key highways around Paris were blocked and tyres were burned during the day-long strike. Barriers also appeared around Marseille and Aix-en-Provence in southeast France. | Key highways around Paris were blocked and tyres were burned during the day-long strike. Barriers also appeared around Marseille and Aix-en-Provence in southeast France. |
| Some cars were overturned and others had their windows smashed with bats. | Some cars were overturned and others had their windows smashed with bats. |
| Aeroports de Paris, the operator of the French capital's Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly airports, warned passengers to travel by train, saying "access by road is completely blocked". | |
| Some travellers walked along the side of the motorway to reach the airport. | Some travellers walked along the side of the motorway to reach the airport. |
| Taxi drivers also blocked access to Marseille and Aix train stations and protested on the main access to Marseilles-Provence airport. | Taxi drivers also blocked access to Marseille and Aix train stations and protested on the main access to Marseilles-Provence airport. |
| France's taxi drivers - who have to pay thousands of euros for a licence - say they are being unfairly undercut by UberPOP. | France's taxi drivers - who have to pay thousands of euros for a licence - say they are being unfairly undercut by UberPOP. |
| "Many taxis drivers are infuriated," Abdelkader Morghad, a representative of the FTI taxi union, told Bloomberg. | "Many taxis drivers are infuriated," Abdelkader Morghad, a representative of the FTI taxi union, told Bloomberg. |
| He said a law that forbids unlicensed drivers to carry paying passengers should be implemented. | He said a law that forbids unlicensed drivers to carry paying passengers should be implemented. |
| France's licensed drivers have lost between 30% and 40% of their income over two years because of the growth of UberPOP, Mr Morghad said. | France's licensed drivers have lost between 30% and 40% of their income over two years because of the growth of UberPOP, Mr Morghad said. |
| UberPOP is a car-sharing service offered by Uber, which brings together customers and private drivers at prices lower than those charged by both traditional taxi firms and even other Uber services. | UberPOP is a car-sharing service offered by Uber, which brings together customers and private drivers at prices lower than those charged by both traditional taxi firms and even other Uber services. |
| UberPOP differs because it allows non-professional drivers to register their car and transport other passengers. | |
| It has been illegal in France since January, but the law has proved difficult to enforce and the service continues to operate, AFP news agency reports. | It has been illegal in France since January, but the law has proved difficult to enforce and the service continues to operate, AFP news agency reports. |
| Mr Cazeneuve said on Thursday that he had ordered police in Paris to issue a decree banning UberPOP and said any cars defying the order would be seized. | Mr Cazeneuve said on Thursday that he had ordered police in Paris to issue a decree banning UberPOP and said any cars defying the order would be seized. |
| Uber spokesman Thomas Meister said the firm had contested the law under which UberPOP has been ruled illegal, and accused the interior minister of overriding the normal legal process. | Uber spokesman Thomas Meister said the firm had contested the law under which UberPOP has been ruled illegal, and accused the interior minister of overriding the normal legal process. |
| "The way things work in a state of law is that it's for the justice to judge whether something is legal or illegal," he was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. | "The way things work in a state of law is that it's for the justice to judge whether something is legal or illegal," he was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. |
| San Francisco-based Uber says it has a million users in France, including 250,000 for UberPOP. Uber also operates a luxury service which is not banned. | San Francisco-based Uber says it has a million users in France, including 250,000 for UberPOP. Uber also operates a luxury service which is not banned. |
| Uber has faced similar teething problems in cities all over the world, with traditional taxi drivers protesting against being undercut by the unlicensed company. | Uber has faced similar teething problems in cities all over the world, with traditional taxi drivers protesting against being undercut by the unlicensed company. |
| But licensed taxi drivers have been criticised for being slow to adopt the app-based geolocation technology behind Uber's success. | But licensed taxi drivers have been criticised for being slow to adopt the app-based geolocation technology behind Uber's success. |