URBAN transportation company Uber has been having a rough time. The company has been encountering legal struggles in a few of its international markets. In March 2015, around 25 armed police officers searched the company’s office in Paris. At the same time in Germany, a court ordered a nationwide ban on Uber’s cheaper ride-sharing service UberPOP. In South Korea, executives and employees were charged with violating transportation laws and many items were seized.

    Legal struggles are nothing new for Uber. According to its Website, Uber is now available in 55 countries. Each country has its own legislation. In many cases, Uber launches a new branch and then figures out if it complies with existing laws. It’s a smart strategy as there are many ways to interpret a piece of legislation. But it doesn’t always work.

    Uber launched UberPOP in Paris in February 2014. It was the company’s first rollout for its new ride-sharing servicein France. As people don’t need a specific driver’s license to become an UberPOP driver, many professional drivers saw the new service as unfair competition. UberPOP was banned in Brussels, the Netherlands and France.

    Yet, a court recently ruled that the French Government couldn’t ban UberPOP that easily. It’s not over for UberPOP in France, but this incessant fight between Uber, the government and other official institutions shows that nobody knows what they should do. Uber is providing something intrinsically new when it comes to urban transportation. There are many concerns for goverments when it comes to employment, existing taxi driving licenses and more.

    In South Korea, Uber had to suspend its UberX service as the company wasn’t complying with local transportation rules. Yet, the company kept UberBLACK cars on the road, stating that it was complying with the law with this service.

    In Germany, Uber had a few problems with local governments. The service was banned in Berlin and Hamburg, and a district court in Frankfurt later issued a temporary nationwide ban. But Uber managed to operate again in Germany.

    Can the mounting bad press hit the brakes on Uber’s growth story? Thilo Koslowski, a vice president and automotive practice leader at Gartner in the United States, told Los Angeles Times that the growing pains appear to be par for the course for such a fast-expanding company.

    “The company is still young and, because of the speed in which it’s expanding, it’s just encountering these things that are part of growing up,” Koslowski told the Times, adding: “Uber has to address these problems because if it doesn’t, it’s at risk of letting these things get out of control.”

    Uber operations have been halted in New Delhi after a rape accusation. Spain and Thailand also ordered operations stop in their countries.

    Uber is a ride-sharing company that uses smartphone technology. The Uber app allows clients to hail a ride from ordinary car owners who have signed up to shuttle passengers.

    Uber has been valued by investors at US$40 billion since being founded in 2009. Before recent problems, Uber’s global expansion has put them in more than 55 countries.

    (SD-Agencies)