Uber’s regulatory woes continue as the ride-sharing service faces ban in Taiwan, fines in China

Just a few days after it entered into a partnership with China-based search engine Baidu, Uber has come under the scanner of the authorities in Chongqing. The Chinese city which is home to more than 30 million people, is concerned that its drivers are not appropriately licensed.

According to a Reuters report, the Chongqing government is currently investigating the legality of the ride-sharing startup’s business model, with officials saying that private drivers operating without a commercial license would be classified as “illegal behavior,” and a fine of 30,000 yuan ($4,820) to 100,000 yuan ($16,070) would be imposed on them.

Similar concerns have also been raised in Taiwan. According to the country’s transport ministry, the San Francisco-based company cannot operate as a taxi service there, although it is allowed to provide informational tools to customers. “If Uber obtains the proper license it can continue operating in Taiwan,” said Liang Guo Guo, Deputy Director, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which is mulling blocking access to the company’s website and mobile apps.

Over the last few weeks, Uber has received a lot of bad press. The service was recently banned in New Delhi, India, after it came to light that the company was not authorized to provide any taxi services in the city. The action came in the wake of an alleged sexual assault involving an Uber driver. Aside from this, the service was also banned in Thailand and Spain, and was slapped with lawsuits by the city of San Francisco, Los Angeles, as well as Portland.

Source | Via