Germany lifts countrywide ban on taxi app Uber

A Frankfurt regional judge ruled that the injunction taken against the company had been issued in haste

Above all things: Germany’s car-sharing UberPop app has stirred passions and a legal challenge (Getty)

A nationwide ban of taxi-firm Uber in Germany has been lifted after a Frankfurt court found that the emergency measures demanded by traditional taxi firms weren’t warranted.

Judge Frowin Kurth said “The case has turned out not to be as urgent as we first supposed,” the German Taxi Association promised to appeal.

"The taxi industry accepts competitors who comply with the law. Uber does not," said Taxi Deutschland in a statement.

The temporary injunction was first granted against Uber on September 1, with drivers banned from using the Uberpop mobile app to find fares.

German taxi drivers argued that the San Francisco-based start-up falsely claims to only run a “ride-sharing” service allowing it to avoid the regulations (such as regular health checks, vehicle maintenance and background checks) that drive up prices for traditional cabs.

Similar complaints have motivated taxi firms to stage protests and mount legal action against Uber in cities including Berlin, Madrid, and London.

Uber, which was valued at $18.2 billion four years after its launch in 2010, has welcomed the Frankfurt court’s decision.

"UberPop is revolutionising transport in cities and beyond by helping to create smarter cities with more transport choices," said the company.

"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."