Uber expanded its ride-sharing operations into the French cities of Strasbourg, Nantes and Marseille this week, inciting local taxi drivers to fury and resisting a government crackdown.
Uber already has several hundred drivers registered in each of its new locations and 1 million active users in France, according to Thomas Meister, Uber’s communications director for western Europe.
The expansion was met with fierce resistance from taxi drivers. Protesters gathered outside hotels in Marseille and Nantes where Uber drivers were receiving orientation training. Taxi unions in all three cities have also appealed to local authorities to ban the service.
“The training continued, nothing was cancelled. We’re not bending under pressure,” Meister said. “The problem with the French taxi industry is that it has done nothing, hasn’t changed, in 60 years.”
The launch of the service in Strasbourg coincided with the June voting session of the European Parliament, followed by staff, lobbyists, journalists and various hangers-on.
“If they dare to come here, we will massacre them!” — Strasbourg taxi driver
“If they dare to come here, we will massacre them,” a Strasbourg taxi driver told POLITICO, refusing to give his name before driving off.
However, many of those in Strasbourg welcomed Uber’s entry into the market.
Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group, was one high-profile fan.
“I am happy to see that Uber will also offer its services in Strasbourg,” he said. “The growth of the app economy should be seen as part of the solution [to unemployment], rather than part of the problem.”
In France, Uber already operates in Paris, Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse and the French Riviera, despite facing continued pressure from authorities.
With a mish-mash of local and national laws and court cases in the works, Uber’s legal status in the country is complicated.
Last year, a French law banned ride sharing services like Uber’s, but Meister told POLITICO he didn’t believe the law’s definition applied to Uber and appeals are ongoing.
Despite his opinion, a special unit in the Paris police force continued a city-wide crackdown on Uber drivers, looking for cars with dash-mounted mobile phones and passengers in the back seat.
Last month, a French court ruled that Uber’s chauffeur service, UberX, could continue to operate and charge by the kilometer as long as drivers returned to a base, such as a parking lot, between fares.
Various prefectures around the country have attempted to ban ride sharing services like Uber’s, including the Bordeaux province, but the company has resisted.
A spokesperson for the Bordeaux prefecture declined to comment on the expansion of Uber, directing POLITICO to the French ministry for transport. The ministry directed POLITICO to the ministry of the interior, which did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s requests for comment.
Uber has faced an uphill struggle in Europe, with several countries including Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy and Belgium cracking down on its operations. While Belgium has since warmed to the service, announcing that it will soon be legalized, other countries remain committed to keeping it out. Uber recently pulled out of Germany as a result of a government action there.
Uber has faced an uphill struggle in Europe: several countries remain committed to keeping the service out.
With millions of customers already using Uber in Europe, it isn’t going down without a fight. The company has filed complaints against France, Germany and Spain with the European Commission, alleging the countries’ anti-Uber laws violate EU treaties.
The Commission investigations are ongoing, but signs point to a positive resolution for Uber.
Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for the Internal Market, previously said she supports the sharing economy.
“This is a new way of doing business. We need to align with this, not fight this,” Bieńkowska said. “We cannot fight with the windmills.”
Hans von der Burchard and Marine Doux contributed to this story.