Imogen Calderwood
LIFT-SHARE app Uber has announced that it will be closing its service ‘temporarily’ in Spain, despite insisting just days ago that it would continue to operate.
CEO of Uber Spain, Carles Lloret, announced via a blogpost that the company was closing while a court order against it is appealed.
“Today we have received the formal ruling and, in compliance with the December 9 order from the commercial judge and in respect of the law, we are temporarily suspending services in Spain while we appeal the court ruling and look to develop new options to give Spaniards access to safe, reliable rides,” he wrote.
“Shielding existing incumbents from competition – as Spain’s taxi regulations currently do– restricts drivers’ economic opportunity, limits consumer choice and blocks innovation. We will work tirelessly to develop a regulatory framework in Spain that embraces progress – as many jurisdictions have done in the past few months alone.”
Prior to the temporary closure, Uber operated across Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, reaching ‘tens of thousands of riders and drivers’.
But the Madrid Taxi Association brought a lawsuit against them, leading to the closure.
Uber swore to fight the case, announcing on December 27 that it would continue to operate despite the ban and complained that ‘nearly three weeks’ after the court order was made, the company had received no formal notification.
The judge described the closure as a ‘precautionary measure’ while the case is examined.
