Uber appears to be having some more legal trouble abroad — this time in the Netherlands, Reuters reported.
A statement released Friday that was obtained by Reuters reports that Dutch prosecutors have waged a criminal investigation into Uber’s practices for allegedly offering illegal taxi services, which violated a court order. This marks another European country that is looking into banning Uber.
“The company Uber is now a suspect,” according to the statement relayed on Reuter’s behalf. “This means a preliminary examination will be started to collect evidence that Uber is providing illegal transportation on a commercial basis.”
The allegations suggest that UberPOP, the company’s Amsterdam version, which works the same way as it does in the U.S., has grown in popularity but caused the same tension between taxi services that feel Uber has undercut its business models. A Dutch court banned UberPOP last December under the conditions that it was not meeting the region’s regulations for licensing laws.
Under Dutch law, Uber drivers must obtain a commercial license — which is stricter than in the U.S. The court ordered Uber to stop operations and threatened the company with a $110,000 fine. Reuters reported that Uber is currently fighting the ruling. Dutch prosecutors claimed that police nabbed dozens of drivers who were violating the taxi service laws. So far, 23 drivers have been fined in Amsterdam for operating without a commercial license.
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