Judge lifts injunction stopping tech company's services in Brazil

A Brazilian judge struck out an injunction issued against tech company Uber for the suspension of its ride sharing services throughout the country.

The injunction had been a result of the State Court of SaoPaolo’s ruling on April 28 that Uber, which allows users request rides through their smartphones, was in violation of the regulations on the use of taxi’s and ordered the company to stop operations immediately.

Reuters reports that Uber did not immediately comply and its services were not interrupted.

However, another judge ruling on the case and the legality of the injunction decided on Monday that the court had acted out of its jurisdiction.

Uber drivers do not have to pay steep fees for taxi licenses, bypass local laws and are private citizens who use their own cars to pick up the service’s customers therefore leaving Brazil’s taxi companies to cry foul.

"A decision like this is extremely frustrating," said Ivana Có Crivelli, a lawyer for the Sao Paulo State Taxi Workers' Union. "Cab drivers are people who are fighting for their livelihood. Their work is professional and regulated."

Uber is the world’s most valuable venture based start-up with a valuation of $40 billion, but its facing challenges in the US and Europe where local taxi drivers have taken to various means to fight it.