MADRID, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- A Spanish judge Tuesday ordered the ride-sharing service Uber to cease operations in the country, citing unfair competition to taxi drivers.
The San Francisco-based company operates in 45 countries and over 200 cities, and uses a cellphone app to connect potential passengers with private drivers.
The ruling from Madrid's mercantile court accepted the position of the Madrid Taxi Assn., which is preparing a future court case against Uber, noting Uber drivers have no official standing beyond holders of private drivers' licenses, and thus unfairly compete with taxi drivers. Taxi drivers in Spain launched protests against Uber this year in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.
Uber drivers "lack the administrative authorization to carry out the job, and the activity they carry out constitutes unfair competition," the court said.
The ruling also instructed firms involved with Uber's payment processing in Spain to stop.
