Uber to stop offering budget service in Basel

Pressure from taxi companies and fines imposed on drivers have resulted in the retreat of UberPop from Swiss cities Keystone

The ride-sharing firm Uber has announced it will abandon its UberPop service in the city of Basel from June 1, 2018, as it is not profitable enough. UberPop has already been discontinued in Zurich and Lausanne. 

According to the company, the decision was taken due to feedback from its partners, who wanted to earn more money through the more expensive UberX service. Economic success was not possible through its cheapest service UberPop, the company stated. 

UberPop drivers in Basel will have five months to obtain a special licence to transport passengers in a professional capacity. Uber offers three types of service: UberBlack uses professional drivers operating high-end sedans; UberX is an intermediate range of cars; UberPop, at the lower end of the scale, is operated by any individual with a four-door car who signs up on the company’s website. 

The American firm had axed UberPop in Zurich in August and Lausanne in November due to pressure from taxi companies and unions. UberPop drivers have been fined in Basel and Zurich for not possessing a professional licence. In November, the Basel Country cantonal court fined an UberPop driver for earning CHF32,000 ($32,319) over a nine-month period.