Another luddite city

AP reports:

The city that hosts next year’s Olympic Games has become the first in Brazil to ban the use of smartphone-based ride-hailing-applications like Uber.

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes on Tuesday signed legislation recently passed by Rio’s city council banning Uber and similar technologies from operating in the city.

“Uber is forbidden,” Paes said after signing the bill. “We are open to discuss the matter, but it is forbidden.”

How preposterous. Corrupt legislators banning a service that their citizens wish to use, because they don’t want to get offside with a powerful industry.