French Uber bosses talk to Le Plod over 'illicit activity' allegations

Euro nation targets not-a-taxi-firm-honest's chiefs

Two Uber bosses have been talking to police in France after being accused of engaging in "illicit activity".

The men are reported to be Thibaud Simphal, the manager of Uber France, and Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, the general manager for Western Europe.

An Uber spokesman told The Register: "Two representatives of Uber today went voluntarily to a police hearing that is part of an ongoing legal proceeding."

The spokesman added that: "We are always happy to answer questions the authorities have about our service — and look forward to resolving these issues. Those discussions are ongoing. In the meantime, we’re continuing to ensure the safety of our riders and drivers in France given last week's disturbances."

The company's low-cost UberPop ride-sharing services are banned in some parts of the country.

Last week a French taxi drivers' strike against Uber turned violent, with Courtney Love being caught up in the violence.

France's interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve slapped a ban on UberPop following the strike.

To date, French police have charged more than 300 drivers with working illegally – including a crackdown at the Cannes Film Festival.

Although Uber does not consider these drivers employees, it is supporting them by covering their legal fees and fines. ®