Uber Ban Lifted By German Courts

Uber can now legally operate its ride-sharing service in Frankfurt, Germany, after a regional court reversed a temporary injunction on Tuesday (Sept. 16), VentureBeat reported.

The ban officially went into effect on Aug. 25, and theoretically stopped Uber’s UberPop subsidiary from operating in Germany. However, according to numerous reports, Uber continued operating despite the temporary nationwide ban, risking hefty fines. Uber was also temporarily banned in Berlin on Aug. 14, and the company ignored that ban too. Four days later, Berlin suspended the ban.

In a statement, Uber said it welcomed the court’s decision to lift the injunction on UberPop, and claimed a recent ride-sharing poll indicated that 70 percent of Germans want to be able to share their cars.

VentureBeat also reported that Uber was the target in June of protests by taxi drivers in Berlin, London, Madrid and Paris, who called Uber’s pricing practices unfair to the general taxi market.