Uber, the fast-growing American ride-sharing service already valued at more than $40 billion, is locked in major controversies and legal fights not just in New Delhi, which has just banned it, but in a host of countries, including many States within the United States.
The San Francisco-based company, which began as a small-time start-up in 2009 and has since spread its wings to extensive operations in over 50 countries, has just been banned by Thailand. It has also been banned by German cities Berlin and Hamburg, and the US State of Nevada.
For Uber, it’s not the first time that one of its drivers has been accused of sexual assault, writes the Time magazine, which has compiled a list of place where the company is currently facing the heat.
The company has faced a host of challenges, some of them within its own California backyard. In both San Francisco and los Angeles, district attorneys have accused Uber of misleading customers about banning drivers with criminal offences.
Apart from the just-imposed ban in Nevada, the city of Portland in Oregon has sued Uber for operating illegally. “They think they can just come in here and flagrantly violate the lawIJ This is really amazing. Apparently, they believe they’re gods,” Portland’s Transportation Commissioner Steve Novick has been quoted as saying.
In neighbouring Canada, the Toronto city authorities are getting ready to battle Uber in court, arguing that the ride-sharing service is “jeopardizing public safety”.
The Time magazine compilation also points to the court challenge against Uber in the Netherlands, which just this week issued an injunction against drivers operating without licences.
While Thailand banned Uber on Monday, lawmakers in Indonesia and Vietnam are scrutinizing its operations. And in london, the city’s main taxi association has brought lawsuits against Uber and a number of its
drivers.