Uber says London court throws out £340 million black cab lawsuits
Uber says claims brought by roughly 13,000 black cab drivers and two former operators have been dismissed, Uber said
Published
Chart: UBER, one-minute prices, three sessions
Uber said a London court has dismissed lawsuits worth £340 million brought by licensed black cab drivers and two former private hire operators, Kabbee and Iride.
The claims, filed in 2024, alleged that Uber operated unlawfully under its London private hire licence between 2012 and March 2018, costing licensed taxi drivers significant earnings, according to Taxi Point. Around 13,000 drivers were involved, with Mishcon de Reya acting for the group, according to Mishcon de Reya.
The case reached the High Court's Commercial Court as a preliminary hearing on whether the claims were time-barred, rather than a hearing on the substance of the allegations, according to The Lawyer. Uber argued the claims fell outside the six-year limit set by the Limitation Act 1980 and that the claimants could not meet the burden of proof needed to extend that deadline, according to City AM.
The outcome removes one of the largest outstanding legal claims against Uber's London operations, a market where the company has spent years contesting disputes over its right to operate and how it classifies drivers. A loss would have added a large new liability on top of the regulatory and reputational pressure Uber has already faced in the UK. Dismissal of claims brought by both individual drivers and former operators also narrows the room for similar group litigation against the company there, though it leaves broader questions about how UK regulators treat ride-hailing platforms unresolved.