Belgium: Uber, officials at loggerheads

UBER Technologies drivers in Brussels risk having their cars confiscated after the city’s police tribunal ruled they offer a taxi service and should abide by the same rules as cabbies. “Today Uber drivers risk having their cars seized if they continue” to take passengers, said Jacques Verhaegen, a lawyer for an Uber driver at the centre of yesterday’s case, whose vehicle was seized last year. That is “bad news” for Uber, its drivers and people who want to get a ride. While Uber has argued it is a technology platform rather than a transport company, the court ruled that its drivers offer a form of taxi service, open to any customer, who has a credit card and smartphone or tablet with Uber’s app. The company’s relationship with Brussels authorities has been strained since the service began operating in the area in February last year. The city filed a criminal complaint against the car-booking service and urged police to close down its website in December. Uber’s taxes have also been targeted in Belgium, newspaper L’Echo reported the same month. Uber was “taking this latest decision seriously”, the company said. The government in February announced plans according to which Uber would have to comply with the same rules as licensed taxis in the city. – Bloomberg