France crack down on tech company after taxi drivers riot

Reports have revealed that France ordered a nationwide clampdown on UberPOP on Thursday, siding with taxi drivers who blockaded major transport hubs in angry protests against the popular online ride-sharing service.

Furious at what they regard as unfair competition, cabbies blocked roads to the capital's airports, overturned cars and burned tyres to press for the scheme to be abolished.

According to sources, Prime Minister Manuel Valls condemned the violence and incidents "on both sides" as the government sought to take a tough stand on the protests while backing the drivers' case.

"They give a deplorable image to visitors to our country," he said during a visit to Colombia, adding that all available legal measures would be taken to halt the  UberPOP activity, sources say.

French Police said 70 cars were damaged and seven police officials injured in the protests. Ten people were arrested.

The protests were among the fiercest in a series of strikes and other demonstrations across Europe against San Francisco-based Uber - valued in excess of $40 billion - whose backers including investment bank GoldmanSachs and technology giant Google.

Uber, which says it has 1 million users in France, links drivers to passengers via a smartphone app. It has expanded its UberPOP service in French cities, provoking anger from taxi drivers and stirring a debate over what is fair competition.