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Ride-sharing giant Uber to suspend service in Macau after battle with regulators

Hong Kong operations not affected, spokeswoman says

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Uber supporters march in Macau last year after the company said it would pull out of the city. Photo: Dickson Lee

Ride-sharing giant Uber will suspend its service in Macau from Friday after a fruitless two-year battle with the government over regulations.

But operations in Hong Kong, where the firm is facing similar legal scrutiny from local authorities, would not be affected, an Uber spokeswoman said.

“We have fought hard every day to legitimise our Macau operations ... Unfortunately, we have still room for improvement on this issue,” the firm said in a statement on its website.

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“This was not an easy decision, but was made with the best interests of Macau in mind. We hope the decision will bring positive changes,” it said, adding it hoped to make a comeback soon.

By temporarily suspending business, Uber said, it hoped to open the door for a “constructive dialogue” with stakeholders in Macau. Photo: David Wong
By temporarily suspending business, Uber said, it hoped to open the door for a “constructive dialogue” with stakeholders in Macau. Photo: David Wong
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It is the second time Uber has suspended services in the former Portuguese enclave. Last August, Uber paused services in the gaming hub due to hefty fines being imposed on drivers. More than 300 drivers were fined more than 10 million patacas since its operations began in October 2015.

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