Uber Hits A Series Of Speedbumps This Week

Looks like its “uh oh” for Uber. The digital ride-sharing platform had a series of troubles spanning from competition to the courtroom this week.

Friday, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced it will launch an antitrust investigation against Uber due to speculation that the company failed to adhere to the Chinese government’s regulations when merging its operations in China with Chinese rival Didi Chuxing. The ministry believes the deal may not have been properly disclosed.

Thursday, stateside, state taxi regulator Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) reinstated an $11.4 million fine against Uber for operating in the state illegally in 2014. The PUC brought the original suit against Uber due to evidence that the entity offered nearly 123,000 rides in the state without proper permission. Prior to reinstating the penalty, the PUC considered decreasing the fine if Uber offered valid reasoning and evidence of added value for the state and its residents stemming from its actions.

Earlier this week, Google (parent company, Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL) announced plans to incorporate a ride-sharing component into its traffic app, Waze. This technological merge adds yet another member to Uber’s competitor pool. The announcement also comes in the midst of Uber’s effort to reconfigure its digital maps to ultimately end its reliance on Google maps.

No doubt Uber is in for a rocky ride.

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