Uber France and two of its top executives in Europe are to stand trial on September 30th on charges of “misleading commercial practices” and “complicity in the illegal exercise of the taxi profession”, the Paris prosecutor’s office has confirmed.

The charges come a day after police detained Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, Uber’s general manager in western Europe, and Thibaud Simphal, head of the company’s operations in France, in relation to a complaint filed late last year by one of the country’s taxi unions.

The California-based ride-hailing company operates several services in France, but the charges relate to its UberPop service, which allows individuals to offer rides to the public without the standard 250 hours of training.

The Paris prosecutor’s office described the investigations behind the charges as “numerous and complex”. It did not state the maximum sentences linked to the charges. The case is the latest twist in a fight between the company and the French government, which has declared some of its activities illegal.

“Unfair competition”

French president François Hollande said UberPop’s presence was a problem of “unfair competition” last week. His socialist government has also passed a law that in effect declared UberPop illegal. Mr Hollande added that such services needed to be challenged.

His comments followed angry protests last week as thousands of taxi drivers across France declared a strike against Uber’s activities.

Taxi drivers in Paris are furious because the service also allows drivers to operate without a taxi licence, which can cost up to €240,000. They say that the rival service has, in some cases, led to a 30 per cent fall in business.– Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2015