Uber suspends uberPOP in Spain following court ruling

Could the year end any other way for Uber?

The ride-sharing service announced in a blog post today that it has suspended its uberPOP service in Spain after a court ruled earlier this month that the service violated that country’s laws.

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The decision caps an up-and-down year for the San Francisco-based company in which it raised billions of dollars in venture capital, undertook an aggressive expansion around the globe, but also experienced a wave of regulatory backlash and bad publicity over safety and privacy.

Because uberPOP was the only service the company provided in Spain, the decision effectively means Uber’s Spanish operation has been shut down for the moment.

“The Association Madrileña Del Taxi requested a court injunction against Uber,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Today we have received the formal ruling and, in compliance with the December 9th order from the commercial judge and in respect of the law, we are temporarily suspending uberPOP in Spain while we appeal the court ruling and look to develop new options to give Spaniards access to safe, reliable rides.”

The company said it remains hopeful it can reach some kind of settlement with the Spanish government that will allow it to resume service.

“During this temporary suspension of uberPOP, we will also collaborate with Spanish politicians to develop the modern framework needed to create a permanent home for Uber and the sharing economy — and fortunately Spanish leaders have already been standing up for the innovation economy,” the company wrote.