Uber has shut down its UberPop service in Norway, expressing hope for a change in the law which currently makes the company’s operation and expansion difficult, according to a report.
According to TechCrunch, “UberPop is one of the brands Uber uses in Europe for its lowest cost ride-hailing service which connects passengers with private drivers.”
“However in many cities in Europe where it operates UberPop has been actively banned — including in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, to name a few,” they noted.
Now, without the peer-to-peer service, just UberBLACK and UberXXL services remain in Oslo, the only place where Uber reportedly exists in Norway, with around 280,000 users and “hundreds” of drivers.
“We want to act as a responsible company that cares about all of its users, and we especially want to limit any issues that drivers may encounter on the road,” Uber claimed. “Since uberPOP launched in Oslo three years ago, there has been a lack of clarity about new platforms like Uber and how they fit into the existing Norwegian model. We acknowledge the importance of these questions. That’s why we’re engaging in a constructive dialogue with policymakers across the political spectrum to find a solution that works for all Norwegians.”
“Norway deserves modernized laws that encourage innovation and competition without sacrificing what makes the Norwegian model special,” the company continued, adding, “This is already happening elsewhere: Finland recently passed progressive reforms, and we chose to pause uberPOP in Helsinki in order to relaunch when the new law comes into effect in 2018.”
“Here in Norway, we’re encouraged by the recommendations from the ESA, the competition authority and the government’s own sharing economy committee,” Uber concluded. “The government parties, Høyre and Fremskrittspartiet, have stated in their party programs that change needs to happen in the transport sector.”
In another statement to Reuters, Uber also added that they had “learned the hard way.”
“We’ve learned the hard way that we must change as a company in order to serve the millions of riders and drivers who rely on us,” they declared. “With our new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi onboard, it’s a new era for Uber. That’s why it’s now time to pause UberPOP in Norway, in order to relaunch under new regulations.”
In September, Uber lost their license to operate in London, England.
Transport for London refused a new license to the company, claiming they were not “fit and proper” to operate– a ruling which is currently being appealed.
Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington and Gab @Nash, or like his page at Facebook.
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