Uber Technologies will suspend its UberPOP service in France, the company said on Friday, as local authorities claim the taxi service is illegal. Licensed French taxi drivers argue that Uber's service threatens their livelihood with unfair competition, and Uber will face trial in September.

Last month, an Italian court banned unlicensed car-sharing services, two months after a German court issued a similar ban and imposed stiff fines for violations of local transport laws.

"We have decided to suspend UberPOP in France from 1800 GMT (1400 EDT) this Friday evening, primarily to assure the safety of Uber drivers," the newspaper Le Monde quoted Uber France head Thibaud Simphal as saying, adding some drivers had been targets of violence.

"The second reason is that we want to create a spirit of reconciliation and dialogue with public authorities to show we are acting responsibly," he said.