Uber Loses Compensation Lawsuit Against French Taxi Industry

[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The French taxi industry won a damages lawsuit filed against the ride-sharing company Uber.

According to AFP on the 10th (local time), the court ruled that Uber France must pay 180,000 euros (about 250 million KRW) to 910 taxi drivers and the taxi labor union who claimed to have suffered damages due to unfair competition from 2014 to 2015. According to the ruling, each taxi driver participating in the lawsuit will receive 192 euros (about 260,000 KRW), and the taxi union will receive 5,000 euros.

At that time, Uber provided transportation services by allowing drivers without French taxi licenses to work as Uber drivers.

The court held that untrained drivers posing as professional drivers damages the image and reputation of licensed taxi drivers.

Uber stated that since 2015, it has not used drivers without taxi licenses in France. Furthermore, it explained that to become an Uber driver, one must pass the same exam required to obtain a taxi license.