Belgian courts have told UberPop to stop offering service in their country. The ride app service has three weeks to cease its operations in Belgium or face major fines.
Uber is known across the globe as a popular ride service that lets people easily get from one place to another. Its subsidiary company UberPop allowed riders to connect with private drivers that are not licensed by Uber to receive rides at rates much lower than traditional taxis.
Meanwhile, UberX will not be affected in the country. UberX requires drivers to be licensed by Uber, but it is more expensive. UberX was launched in Belgium earlier this month, a sign that the company was anticipating the ban.
UberPop faced a similar ban in April of 2014 that it ignored. The company says that the decision hurts hundreds of its drivers as well as thousands of people that rely upon the company for a means of reliable transportation.
While Uber is upset over the matter, licensed cab drivers are applauding the decision, saying that the service was putting their jobs at risk by putting a massive amount of low-cost drivers into the market.
Cab drivers in other countries have brought violence upon UberPop. In France, taxi drivers burned Uber cars and blocked their access to airports and train stations. Other cab drivers went on strike in order to protest. Police eventually had to use tear gas to break up the crowds of taxi drivers.
UberPop was eventually banned in France, but the company has made attempts to continue operations in the country. The app was also outlawed from taking bookings in the Netherlands, as the Dutch threatened the company with fines of up to $123,000. Denmark and Norway have also been voicing negative opinions about Uber.
China joins the list of countries that have forbidden ridesharing services as well. The country will suspend licenses and invoke fines upon anyone caught using Uber to provide taxi services.
Uber services in India were once banned after a passenger was raped. However, the company secured a taxi license, and operations have since resumed.
The latest news from Belgium shows that many countries across the globe are saying no to ridesharing services, as they don’t want to threaten the livelihood of their cab drivers. They also want to protect their citizens from potential dangers that come about when people take rides from strangers.
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