Uber gives in to Berlin ban, plans to modify operations & launch alternative taxi service

As German courts flip–flop on the legality of car service Uber, the company today announced plans to modify its current black car service in Berlin due to pressure from city lawmakers.

The startup also announced the launch of UberTaxi in Berlin — a move that allows the company to continue operating in the city legally.

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Although Uber has successfully avoided numerous shutdown attempts in Germany over the last few months, today the company announced it will “adapt” its black car service following a Berlin court ruling late last week. It is not yet clear how Uber plans to modify its black car service — or if the service will continue operating at all. Regardless, this is the first time Uber has bent to the will of German courts; it ignored previous rulings.

As for Uber’s UberTaxi, the new service will allow users in Germany to find and hail licensed city cabs. As usual, UberTaxi will not handle payments or function as a digital taxi meter. According to a roughly translated statement on Uber’s Berlin blog, “the service will start in Berlin and Hamburg and then extended to other German cities.”

According to Uber spokesperson Fabien Nestmann [roughly translated]:

We naturally respect the German legal system and are working to adapt our service so that we move within the legal requirements. At the same time, we want an open dialogue about how the current provisions of the Passenger Transport Act for the technical realities of the 21st century can be opened.