Dutch prosecutors have raided the offices of elite car services Uber in Amsterdam. Records were seized as part of the investigation centered in UberPOP, a smartphone app where users can conveniently book a trip.
The prosecutors are suspicious that the company is allowing unlicensed drivers to offer taxi services through the UberPOP ride-sharing service.
The incident is the second time for the high-end transportation brand to face scrutiny under Dutch authorities. In 2014, the Dutch court ruled UberPop as illegal. The business had been fined €450,000 ($505,327) by the country's Transport Inspectorate.
In response to the raid on Sept. 28, Uber spokesman Gareth Mead said the company will continue to cooperate with the Dutch authorities on this ongoing investigation into UberPOP, but adds that the transport company disputes the allegations of wrongdoing.
The law governing taxi licenses are under review by the Dutch Parliament.
Founded in 2009 by Travis Kalanick and Garette Camp, the American international transport network has been launched in 60 countries and more than 300 cities around the globe. The fast-rising venture is financially backed by Lowercase Capital, First Round, Menlo, Benchmark, Goldman Sachs, and Google Ventures.
Uber is available for download in iPhones and Android mobiles. To subscribe to the service, the user picks up his location, request, ride and enters his destination. After pick-up, the app shows the driver the passenger's destination and the user is shown his route.
The company ensures the safety of its customers through rigid background checks on drivers, monitoring car speed, and marking safer streets. Uber encourages cashless transactions which promotes the convenience and safety of both riders and drivers. The rider may pay through credit card.
Uber also does business with companies interested in subscribing for daily employee trips. The company may set parameters such as the pick-up location should always be the office.
