Judge Shuts Down Uber In Spain, Pending Taxi Association Court Action

We might be at the point of losing count of the number of places Uber is being shut down at this point.

Now, after a series of protests by taxi associations in Spain, a Madrid judge has ordered ride-sharing app Uber to cease all activities as of today.

The judge accepted the ‘cautionary measures’ put forward by the Madrid Taxi Association, pending a future court case the organisation wants to file against Uber.

The decision was based on the fact that, currently, drivers working with Uber have so far had no official authorisation. Under Spanish law this is considered unfair competition for licensed taxi drivers.

Madrid was the second Spanish city Uber launched in, following Barcelona in April and before Valencia in October.

Spanish taxi drivers have filed a number of complaints and held a number of protests and strikes in recent months. Meanwhile, the Catalan government based in Barcelona is drafting legislation to shut down vehicles operating as taxis on an ‘irregular basis’ and levy fine.