EU judge: Uber is in the business of transportation, not information

A top European Union judge says the smartphone ride-hailing service Uber is a transportation company and could be required to obtain licences and permits under national law in the 28 EU member states.

The case was brought to the European Court of Justice by a taxi company in Spain that claimed a Barcelona Uber branch was engaged in unfair competition.

Advocate General Maciej Szpunar said in a legal opinion Thursday that Uber there was providing a comprehensive system for on-demand urban transport that can be regulated.

This means it could not be considered an "information society service" that would benefit from EU principles on the freedom to provide services.

Such opinions are non-binding but are often endorsed by the ECJ. National courts have banned Uber services in other European cities.

Spanish taxi complaint mirrors Canadian situation

The complaint of the Barcelona taxi company that brought the casemirrors the complaints of taxi drivers in a number of Canadian cities where Uber operates. Taxi companies have accused Uber of competing unfairly by acting as a transportation company while flouting municipal regulations on taxis.

In Quebec, taxi companies and drivers have received the green light to launch a class-action lawsuit against Uber, seeking to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. Quebec and Uberagreed to a pilot project to allow Uber to operate legally in the province for one year, much to the chagrin of taxi drivers.

Taxi drivers In Windsor, Ont., recently spoke out against new regulations they saidwill create two different sets of rules, one for Uber and another for taxis. In 2016, Toronto city hall agreed to let Uber drivers be licensed under a new set of rules for "Private Transportation Companies," a move derided as "a political stunt" by the president of the United Taxi Workers Association.

Earlier this week, Uberannounced a new research hub in Toronto aimed at developing a self-driving car, its third such facility.