Uber Ban Overturned in Germany due to Lack of Urgency

A German court has lifted a temporary injunction against the ride-sharing app Uber, only two weeks after the company was handed a nationwide ban.

Judge Frowin Kurth from the Frankfurt Regional Court said that German taxi companies' case against Uber lacked the urgency for a temporary injunction.

Kurth did not rule out the future possibility of an injunction against Uber but said: "During our deliberations it became clear there was no ground for an immediate injunction."

Taxi Deutschland, the German taxi association that brought the case against Uber, said that it planned to appeal.

"We can not understand this decision," the association said in a statement. "The taxi industry accepts competitors who comply with the law. Uber does not."

Uber had been handed the nationwide ban in Germany following a court ruling that the company lacked the necessary operating permits, which include the necessary provisions for passenger safety.

German newspaper DerSpiegel reported at the time that if any driver was found to be in breach of the ban, then they would face a fine of up to €250,000 (£198,000, $328,000).

In response to the latest court ruling, Uber said that it planned to expand its services to even more parts of Germany.

"UberPOP is revolutionising transport in cities and beyond by helping to create smarter cities with more transport choices," the comapny said.

"Demand is so great all across the country that we expect to double in size by the end of the year and plan to bring Uber to more and more cities across Germany."