Uber stops using UberPop in France

Uber will indefinitely suspend its controversial UberPop service after violent riots by taxi drivers last week. The service has been illegal in France since January, but on Friday Uber decided to remove the option from its app.

Uber says it no longer wants to expose drivers and users of the UberPop service to risks and is therefore adjusting the app and removing UberPop from it. UberPop was already declared illegal in France in January, but enforcing the law proved difficult: both users and drivers continued to use the service. The company claims to have 500,000 users in France.

Strikes and riots have erupted in recent weeks in which angry French taxi drivers wreak havoc. The taxi industry is furious because of what they see as unfair competition from Uber. French justice has taken Uber top executives to court for allowing unlicensed drivers to perform taxi rides through UberPop, it emerged earlier this week.