Families destroyed": cabs and VTCs sue Uber France for "unfair competition

After several months of confrontations with Uber, Savoie’s cabs and VTCs have decided to join forces and take Uber to court. They denounce “unfair competition” on their territory.

This is a new episode in the war waged by Savoie’s cab and VTC drivers against Uber France. Faced with unfair competition from online platforms, some drivers have formed an association to take the American giant to court.

“A first in France

“This is a first in France“, says Jonathan Bellaiche, lawyer for Savoie’s cabs and VTCs. For several months now, a real “territorial battle” has been raging in the transport market. On one side are the local players, with Savoie cab drivers, VTCs and transport operators, and on the other Uber and its operators.

The Association des transporteurs savoyards de personnes (Savoy passenger transporters’ association) was set up in response to this legal action. Its members denounce“unbearable” unfair competition on their territory. Cabs and VTCs are“the only ones who have the right to park and circulate on public roads in search of customers“, reminds Me Bellaiche, before continuing:“Currently in Savoie, you have a great many drivers who come from all over France and particularly from the Paris suburbs to park and circulate in search of customers without returning home.”

The association has therefore filed a complaint against Uber with the Albertville public prosecutor for“violation of transport regulations“, says the lawyer. “Today, we have a totally deregulated market and this poses problems for the establishment of our companies on a year-round basis“, says Sébastien Dumarais, president of the Savoie chamber of artisan cabs. The industry representative fears that local businesses will“disappear“. The complaint lodged by the Savoie hauliers’ association is also intended to make local players aware of the urgency of the situation, particularly elected representatives.

A soap opera that has been going on for several months

This“unfair competition“, allegedly led by Uber and its drivers, has been denounced for several months by representatives of Savoie’s passenger transporters. Tensions have even flared between the two parties.

Several Uber vehicles were set on fire in Moûtiers and Salins-Fontaine on February 11. The alleged perpetrator, Sébastien Dumarais, confessed to the offences before the Albertville criminal court after a very electric morning’s hearing.

The damage is in the millions of euros. But quite apart from the financial aspects, it’s above all the families that have been destroyed and, more broadly, an entire region.

Me Bellaiche, lawyer for the Savoy passenger transport association.

Contacted by us, Uber France wished to react: “Other cab federations defended by the same lawyer have already taken unfair competition cases to court. They have almost always failed. It is recognized that Uber has a positive impact both on French mobility and on the very activity of VTC and cab drivers. We hope that the dialogue we have opened with Savoie’s cabs and VTCs will lead to collaboration in the future”. said an Uber spokesperson.

The company points out that numerous unfair competition proceedings have been unsuccessful in recent years. It particularly regrets that in Savoie, some cabs have “chosen the path of violence, leading to serious incidents”.

For their part, the Savoyard cabs say they are aware of the need“to modernize“. As a result, they are working on the development of an application already available on smartphones, which should be fully operational next winter.