The Uber app (archive)

  • Green light for electric scooters, circulation in cities liberalized from 1st January
  • Uber, the former CEO Kalanick also leaves the board of directors
  • Uber, in two years over 6000 sexual assaults on his cars
  • Uber loses license to operate in London
  • Uber Taxi arrives in Italy: first day of the app in Turin, sixth city in Europe

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11 January 2020Uber has announced that it will stop operating in Colombia, following the stark opposition of the local taxi drivers' unions, which have filed a lawsuit before the Colombian Antitrust Authority, Sic (Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio) which has in turn established that the ride-sharing app violates local transportation laws.

Uber, in a statement released on Friday, announced that it will cease operations in Colombia from February 1, in accordance with the Sic decision of last December, which had ordered Uber to close the application. Uber claims to have over 2 million users in Colombia and 88,000 drivers who have revenues, in part or in most, through the app, and has been present in the country for six years.

Uber continues, the legal battle in many other Latin American countries, including Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, but Colombia, the Californian company notes, is the first country that forced it to withdraw from the market in the hemisphere West.

The company said it would appeal the ruling, which it called "arbitrary" and in violation of the free trade agreement between Colombia and the United States. Sic's decision does not concern the Uber Eats delivery service, which will continue to operate in the South American country.

Uber and Hyundai together for flying taxis
However, the company continues to focus on diversification. Uber Eats food deliveries continue to grow, as well as the bike-sharing service with Jump electric bicycles, popular in Europe, while the Uber Air project leaves the realm of science fiction: during the Ces 2020 consumer electronics fair , just ended in Las Vegas, the South Korean Hyundai
has announced that it will start producing large-scale Uber shared flying taxis, which will be ready for service from 2023.

Lime electric scooters are also away from 12 cities
It is no better for Lime, an American ride-sharing company known for electric scooters, born in 2017. The co-founder and CEO, Brad Bao, has announced for 2020 the exit from 12 global markets and the layoff of 100 employees , about 14% of the workforce, according to analysts.

Four are located in the United States: Atlanta, Phoenix, San Diego and San Antonio. Lime also plans to leave Linz, Austria; Bogotá, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montevideo, in Uruguay; Lima, Peru; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Also away from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, in Brazil, a market where Lime operated in financial partnership with Uber.