LANGUAGE: German | English

  • The court lifts the preliminary injunction placed on uberPOP
  • Uber is convinced that uberPOP is a legitimate alternative transportation solution
  • Uber welcomes  policymakers’ and scientists’ willingness for dialogue

Frankfurt, 16 September 2014 – The district court of Frankfurt lifted the preliminary injunction imposed against the service uberPOP on 25 August 2014. Uber welcomes the decision because it believes in its uberPOP product and the benefits it brings German society – safer, more flexible and cheaper service for everybody.

“UberPOP is revolutionising transport in cities and beyond by helping to create smarter cities with more transport choices. Smart cities of the future are better connected with cheaper, safer and more environmentally-friendly transport options,” says Fabien Nestmann, spokesperson for Uber Germany. “Uber is innovating within the framework of the law and is in constructive dialogue with policymakers about how ride-sharing best works within the German context. We know by the demand we see for Uber services that Germany recognises the benefits of new and innovative services that include a safe, reliable and environmentally-friendly option at low cost. We also strongly welcome the suggestion made by the German Minister for the economy, Sigmar Gabriel, and other political decision-makers to enter into open dialogue on uberPOP.  We are at their disposal.”

A recent opinion paper by Professor Rupert Scholz confirms the legitimacy of Uber’s business model in Germany. According to Scholz, Uber is not a transportation company within the meaning of the German Transportation Act but “an electronic drive-share platform”. That makes Uber confident that German courts will eventually acknowledge that Uber is a legitimate, innovative transportation solution in Germany.

Germany is one of the fastest growing markets in Europe and has grown 5X since the start of the year. Demand is so great all across the country that we expect to double in size by the end of the year and plan to bring Uber to more and more cities across Germany.” – Fabien Nestmann, spokesman for Uber Germany.

Uber is part of a broader revolution in mobility solutions that will complement traditional transportation. Uber offers new and better services for passengers and contributes to greater freedom of choice, environmental protection and cost efficiency. Uber is cheaper, more flexible and also available in regions where traditional taxi services or public transport are less readily available, thus increasing transport options for everyone. Uber also ensures better usage of vehicles that are already on the road, thereby making a positive contribution to our environment whilst also improving choice.