UberPop is suspended for the next three months after violent protests and arrests in France

Uber has closed its ride-sharing service, UberPop, in Paris, after the arrest of two executives on Monday, and a series of increasingly disruptive protests against the company in France.

The company said it had made the decision as a result of “intimidation, violent protests and organised aggression against UberPop drivers and users … due to a minority of out-of-control individuals”.

“Uber does not wish to run the slightest risk to UberPop drivers and passengers,” it added.

The UberPop service allows non-professional drivers to offer their car for hire, and the company says that 10,000 drivers have signed up for the service. But concerns over its legality in France resulted in the arrest of two executives on Monday.

Uber has faced particular difficulty in France following the passing of the so-called Thevenoud Law, which targeted car sharing services such as UberPop.

The company said it was suspending its service “in a gesture of peace”, and will wait until the decision of the conseil constitutionnel, the French supreme court, on 30 September, on whether the law is constitutional.

Until then, Uber said that UberPop drivers can apply for a taxi licence and drive for the company’s licensed UberX service – which is also offered in the UK – but that the licensing process was “too much of an obstacle course”.

“We understand that new technology is disruptive: not just for established companies, but for the people who work in them and their families,” Uber said.

“This is especially true at a time of high unemployment. But we believe there is a way forward that provides new opportunities for all drivers including taxi drivers, as well as passengers who love the convenience of services like Uber, Heetch and Djump.

“Hundreds of taxi drivers have already switched over to Uber and are making a better living, with a work schedule to suit their family’s’ needs. It is heartbreaking to see the violence in the streets when we know that taxi drivers can earn more on the Uber platform. It’s why we need to do a better job explaining and communicating the advantages of Uber to all drivers.”