2 Uber managers detained in France over low-cost service
A Paris cab with posters reading " Uber get out", (Uber d?gage), parks during a blockade by taxi drivers in Paris, Thursday, June 25, 2015 in Paris. French taxis are on strike around the country, snarling traffic in major cities and slowing access to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport after weeks of rising and sometimes violent tensions over Uber. (AP Photo/Bertrand Combaldieu)
PARIS >> The spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor says two Uber managers have been taken into custody for questioning over “illicit activity” linked to the ride-hailing company’s low-cost service.
Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre didn’t name the Uber two managers detained on Monday. The American company has sparred with the government over its lowest-cost service. Despite a violence-marred taxi strike, Uber says it would keep operating the service until a ruling by the country’s top court.
The standoff reflects larger tensions in France over how to regulate fast-moving technology and stay globally competitive while ensuring labor protections.
French authorities are frustrated that Uber doesn’t pay the same taxes and social charges as traditional taxis do.
Uber argues that the French taxi system is outdated and needs reform to keep up with apps and geolocalization.
