Court in Rome upholds taxi unions’ complaint and gives company 10 days to end use of apps in country – but ruling is subject to appeal

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

An Italian court on Friday banned the Uber app, saying it contributed to traditional taxis facing unfair competition, local media reported.

In a ruling that is subject to appeal, a court in Rome upheld a complaint filed by taxi unions and gave Uber ten days to end the use of its various phone applications on Italian territory, along with the promotion and advertising of them.

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If Uber does not comply it could face a fine of 10,000 euros ($10,600) for each day it remains in defiance of the court.

Uber said in a statement: “We are shocked by the Italian’s court decision and will appeal. Thousands of professional, licensed drivers use the Uber app to make money and provide reliable transportation at the push of a button for Italians.”

The court’s ruling follows a decision by a court in Milan two years ago to ban the company’s UberPop application, which was deemed under Italian law to encourage the provision of taxi services by unlicensed drivers. That ruling was upheld in a subsequent court case in Turin.