Belgium court rules in favour of Uber as Taxi operators attempt to have them banned

A group of taxi operators in Brussels had lodged a case against Uber over the X service, arguing that a judge should decide whether the estimated 1,000 drivers who use the app in Brussels should be considered staff, but a Belgian court has rejected the attempt, allowing the service to continue operating in the EU capital.

Uber said the ruling confirms it does not provide a transport service and is therefore not liable to provide its drivers with benefits such as holiday or sickness pay.

As reported in the Politico, the latest decision from the French-speaking Tribunal of Commerce in Brussels was dated January 16 but only released Tuesday. In 2015, Uber were forced to scale back their UberPOP service in the EU capital and has faced a number of complaints across many European countries over whether it is a transport service, or simply just a technology platform that connects passengers with drivers. A spokesperson for Uber told the Politico: “We are pleased with the ruling, which confirms that UberX operates within the framework of the law in Brussels."