Uber Germany Said to Swap Discount Rides for Licensed Offer
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Uber Technologies Inc. is planning to end its controversial UberPop discount service in Germany, abandoning a model that has undercut limousine and taxi-hiring businesses in the country, according to people familiar with the matter.
The offer, which lets anyone apply to become a driver and is available in five cities including Berlin and Frankfurt, is set to be replaced in the coming weeks by a service that employs drivers with private-hire licenses, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan isn’t public. The start date of UberX depends on how quickly the company can get drivers certified with local authorities, one of the people said.