Sao Paulo bans Uber after cabbies protest

Sao Paulo, Sep 9 (EFE), (Camera: Alexandre Plaza).- The city council of Sao Paulo has approved an anti-Uber ordinance after taxi drivers blocked traffic to protest against the app-based private driver service that has triggered controversy and legal disputes around the world.

The cabbies protested in front of city hall before the councilors voted 43 to 3 to ban Uber and other smartphone-based ride-sharing services.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's second-largest city, witnessed a similar protest by taxi drivers in July.

The huge gathering of cabs and cabbies on Wednesday clogged the city's downtown, where a large number of Sao Paulo's public buildings are located, and left a large number of citizens without taxi service.

Given this situation, San Francisco-based Uber launched a campaign in Sao Paulo offering free rides provided by the drivers associated with Uber.





Keywords: efe,brazil,taxi,protest,uber