Uber banned as police swoop in other countries

Judges imposed fines of €250,000 (£181,000) for each violation of the order.

It followed the news that the company's Paris offices were raided by police investigating the same service.

And, in South Korea, nearly 30 people linked to the company, including chief executive Travis Kalanick, were charged with running an illegal taxi firm.

Uber said it regretted the Frankfurt District Court's decision, saying it represented a "fundamental infringement of our ability under European law to establish and provide a service".

While UberPop, which unites passengers with drivers who don't have professional licences, is banned, the company insisted it would continue to run its services using licensed limousine and taxi drivers in Germany.

A spokesman said it would also appeal against the court's decision and, in the meantime, would introduce an "alternative ridesharing service that we are developing specifically to fit the court's interpretation of existing regulations in Germany".

The spokesman added that Uber would continue discussions with German regulators in the hope of finding a compromise.

The case, brought by German taxi operator group Taxi Deutschland, is one of more than a dozen lawsuits which have been filed in countries across Europe in recent months against the San Francisco-based company.

Unlicensed drivers

Dieter Schlenker, chairman of the Taxi Deutschland cooperative, hailed the decision as a move that would protect professional taxi drivers from competition by unlicensed Uber drivers.

The presiding judge Joachim Nickel said Uber violated German laws on commercial passenger transportation because its drivers did not have the right kinds of licences.

And he said Uber's business model violated both national and European Union laws because it did not fully insure drivers or passengers in the event of accidents.

Lawyers representing Uber denied it was subject to rules governing taxi operators, claiming the company merely acts as an exchange connecting drivers with clients.

In response, Uwe Eilers, one judge on the three-judge panel that delivered its decision on Wednesday, said: "In that case, you should include in your business description that Uber offers rides for free."

The judges' decision came after it emerged that Uber's Paris offices had been raided by police investigating its UberPop service on Monday. Staff and other people linked to the firm in South Korea were charged with running an illegal taxi firm as part of a separate investigation.

Uber said its South Korean staff had not broken any laws and called the Paris raid "disproportionate".

In France, 30 police officers descended on the company's Paris headquarters looking for information, the company told the BBC.

A spokesman said the officers stayed all day and took away mobile phones that were intended for the use of Uber drivers.

'Intimidation'

He called the raid "intimidation", saying: "Why would they send 30 police officers? We are 46 [people] here. The only things we have are computers and telephones."

Uber said the police investigation was based on French legislation it has already complained to the European Commission about, and was confident would be scrapped.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), dozens of non-professional UberPop users have been fined since the start of the year.

UberPop has been ruled illegal in France, but the company has appealed against a €100,000 (£72,000) fine it received last year, it said.

(BBC)