Uber claims its cars attacked by cab drivers in France
Uber, the private-car start-up, is claiming that at least a dozen of its cars have been violently attacked by French cab drivers who have been protesting the service’s launch in the country.
The San Francisco start-up, which allows smartphone users to using their devices to hail a private car, said Monday that the taxi drivers attacked the company’s drivers and their passengers. The attacks included tires being slashed, car windows being shattered and cars being pelted with eggs in Paris and Lyon, according to Rude Baguette, a French tech news site.
Though Uber blamed cab drivers for the attacks, authorities have not publicly identified those responsible. However, the attacks do come amid a strike by Paris taxi drivers protesting of services such as Uber.
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“That taxis chose to use violence today is unacceptable, that they chose to strike is their business,” Uber said in a blog Monday. “However, Parisians also have a choice when it comes to moving around in their city, and today’s incident certainly discourages Parisians from choosing a taxi for their next ride.”
The attacks were first reported by French entrepreneur Kat Borlongan, who sent out a series of tweets describing the violence.
“Got attacked in an @uber by cab drivers on strike near Paris airport: smashed windows, flat tires, vandalized vehicle and bleeding hands,” she said in her tweets. “Attackers tried to get in the car but our brave @uber driver maneuvered us to safety, changed the tire on the freeway and got us home.”
An image of a slashed tire can be found on Rude Baguette.
The situation in France isn’t the first time cab drivers have protested against Uber or other similar services. In Los Angeles, a huge protest around City Hall took place last summer.
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