Ride sharing service Uber has won a reprieve from a ban on operating in Germany.
A Frankfurt judge set aside a temporary injunction issued two weeks ago against the company from operating its online car-sharing service, Reuters reported.
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The judge said issues in the case brought against Uber by German taxi operator group Taxi Deutschland deserved a fuller airing in court but lacked the urgency for a temporary injunction.
“There could still be grounds for an injunction” against Uber, he said, ruling on the company’s appeal of the court’s original decision. “But during our deliberations it became clear there were no grounds for an immediate injunction.”
According to Reuters, Taxi Deutschland had sought the injunction as part of a civil lawsuit to bar the company’s ride-sharing service, citing what it saw as unfair competition by Uber against the professional taxi drivers whom it represents.
The original injunction barred Uber from using its Uberpop mobile phone app to connect ride-sharing drivers to potential passengers, ruling that Uber’s network of volunteer drivers lacked the commercial licences to charge passengers for rides.
Uber quickly appealed the ruling, leading to the hearing.
Now the taxi operators plan to appeal
Taxi Deutschland said in a statement cited by Reuters it was baffled by Tuesday’s decision.
“The taxi industry accepts competitors who comply with the law. Uber does not. That is why we are announcing today that we will go immediately to appeal,” it said.
Uber Germany spokesman Fabien Nestmann told the news agency the company was pleased with the move to lift the injunction.
“Germans want to be able to share their cars, so this is a real step in the right direction,” he said.
There may be high level support for Uber, though.
The German Economy Ministry issued a statement before the ruling saying the country needed to make room for new, digital business models such as Uber’s, alongside existing businesses. It also called for a hard look at laws governing transport and competition, Reuters added.
