Uber office raided in southern China

Taxi app Uber’s office in the southern city of Guangzhou has been raided by authorities, a report said today, in an apparent crackdown on the Internet ride-sharing service.

Officials from the public security, traffic, and industry and commerce authorities visited Uber’s office yesterday night and seized numerous iPhones, the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily said. The newspaper said authorities carried out the raid on the basis of their oft-repeated statements that the use of private vehicles for ride-sharing businesses is illegal in China, even as the popularity of Uber and its competitors soars.

US-based Uber, which puts customers in touch with private drivers in an alternative to traditional taxis, has become the focus of global controversy and is facing legal challenges and limits on its activities.

Leading the opposition are taxi companies that contend Uber drivers should be regulated in the same way as normal cabs.