PARIS: Ride-hailing firm Uber has been fined US$900,000 in France for using non-professional drivers between February 2014 and July 2015, local media reported Friday.
The Paris Criminal Court ruled Thursday that Uber, based in San Francisco, had operated illegally for putting clients in contact with “road transport providers” for free with its low-cost UberPOP ride-sharing service.
According to a report by technology news provider TechCrunch.com, Uber France General Manager Thibaud Simphal and head of Uber’s European operations Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty were also fined US$34,000 and US$23,000 respectively, as they were found guilty of misleading business pratices and operating an illegal service.
Uber suspended UberPOP in France in July 2015 after an organized push from taxi drivers as Uber refused to obey a 2014 order to shut down UberPop.
As a professional license is not needed to become an Uber driver, traditional taxi services have accused UberPop of unfair competition.
Uber has been a magnet for criticism and has already been banned in several European countries including Spain, Portugal and Germany.
