An Italian court has banned Uber‘s apps, saying they contributed to traditional taxis facing unfair competition, local media have reported.
A court in Rome upheld a complaint filed by Italian taxi unions, and has given the company ten days to end the use of its app on Italian soil, along with the its promotion and advertising.
If Uber does not comply it could face a fine of 10,000 euros ($10,600) for each day it remains in defiance of the court.
The court’s ruling follows a decision by a court in Milan two years ago to ban the company’s UberPop application, which was deemed under Italian law to encourage the provision of taxi services by unlicensed drivers. That ruling was upheld in a subsequent court case in Turin.
Uber said in a statement, “We are shocked by the Italian’s court decision and will appeal. Thousands of professional, licensed drivers use the Uber app to make money and provide reliable transportation at the push of a button for Italians.”
