Top European Court Declares Uber is a Taxi Service

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided Wednesday that Uber is indeed a taxi service, despite protests to the contrary, and must comply with national laws. The ruling has major implications for on-demand transport services across the EU.

1 minute read

December 26, 2017, 6:00 AM PST

By PabloValerio @pabl0valerio


The decision also could increase legal risks for other “sharing” economy companies including Airbnb. Cities could use the ECJ ruling as precedent and argue that Airbnb is a hotel operator and should only list “hosts” with valid tourist licenses.

Uber has been claiming for years that is a “computer services business”, providing an e-commerce platform for connecting people offering and receiving a service. A Barcelona taxi association disagreed and in 2014 went to the European court arguing that Uber was directly involved in carrying passengers. The ECJ ruling puts the argument to rest.

Thursday, December 21, 2017 in Cities of the Future

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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