A judge has banned the popular US mobile phone-based taxi service Uber from operating in Spain, following similar attempted moves in several other countries.
Drivers hired for rides via the application "lack the administrative authorisation to carry out the job, and the activity they carry out constitutes unfair competition," court services said on Tuesday.
The ruling was a "cautionary measure" adopted while the court examines a case brought by the Madrid Taxi Association, the service said in a statement.
The court also ordered telecom companies and payment service providers to block Uber, which calls taxis and processes payments via a mobile telephone application.
Founded in 2009 in California, Uber is best known for its smartphone app that connects passengers with local drivers. Uber charges a commission for each ride.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The company said last week it was valued at $US40 billion ($A43.28 billion), twice what it was worth six months ago. It is now present in more than 200 cities across 45 countries.
Dutch judges on Monday banned one of Uber's services, UberPOP, from taking bookings via its smartphone app and threatened the company with fines of up to $US123,000, saying unlicensed drivers were breaking the law.
A defiant Uber reacted in a statement by saying it "will continue to offer UberPOP".
Monday's decision "is simply the first step in a long-running judicial battle," the San Francisco-based company added.
The city government in New Delhi on Monday banned Uber from operating in the Indian capital after a passenger accused one of its drivers of rape.
Authorities in Denmark and Norway have also filed complaints against Uber, while a court in Paris is due to decide on Friday whether Uber's services constitute unfair competition to traditional taxi drivers.
