Uber Suffers Bloody Nose in Its Fight to Conquer Europe
A senior advisor to the European Court of Justice recommended on Thursday that Uber should be designated as a transportation service, creating an obstacle to Uber’s plans to expand in Europe as it would force the ride-hailing company to comply with the region’s strict rules for transportation safety, as well as other forms of legislation that traditional taxi companies have labored under. Uber had argued that it should be considered as a “digital platform” that unites passengers and drivers and which also supports Europe’s growth of a digital economy, but faces opposition by senior advisors to the court, which is expected to rule on the opinion later this summer. The opinion argues that Uber is more than an intermediary due to the organization necessary to provide a comprehensive system of urban transport.
See "Uber Suffers Bloody Nose in Its Fight to Conquer Europe", Mark Scott, The New York Times, May 11, 2017