Uber suspends low budget service in France after riots

Mobile taxi service Uber said Friday was a ‘sad day’ as it was forced to suspend its budget service UberPop in France.

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Taxi drivers rioted in the streets of France last week, where there were reports of attacks on UberPop drivers.

Earlier this week two Uber executives were arrested for running an illegal taxi company.

In a statement, the company said safety must come first, and emphasised its regular UberX service operated as usual.

The lower cost service UberPop does not require drivers to be licenced or undergo training. There are 10,000 UberPop drivers in France serving about half a million passengers, Uber said in a statement.

In contrast Uber X, which makes up most of Uber’s trips in France, uses licenced drivers.

In its statement Uber complained of the six months or more it can take for an unemployed person to get a licence for the more expensive service.

A court ruling on whether UberPop is illegal was expected later this year.