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Uber faces a multimillion-pound lawsuit from London’s black cab drivers in a revival of the longstanding dispute over the operation of the ride-hailing app in the UK capital.
The action, which will be filed in the High Court on Thursday, alleges that Uber improperly obtained a licence from Transport for London in 2012 and therefore took business away from other drivers unlawfully.
The value of the claim is estimated at a minimum of £250m, with each of the 10,500 black cab drivers potentially eligible for compensation of up to £25,000, according to RGL Management, the litigation claims management company representing them.
All London black cab drivers who worked full-time or part-time between June 2012 and mid-March 2018, including those who have since retired, can join the action, according to a statement published on RGL’s website.
“Uber seems to believe it is above the law and cabbies across London have suffered loss of earnings because of it,” Garry White, who has driven a black cab for 36 years, said in a statement. “It is time they were held to account.”
The lawsuit revives a claim the drivers first attempted to bring against Uber in 2018, alleging the company misled TfL about how its operating system worked. The suit was temporarily abandoned amid the pandemic.
Michael Green, the director of RGL Management, said: “There are still thousands of cabbies eligible to join who have not yet done so. A cut-off date is fast approaching.”
“These old claims are completely unfounded,” an Uber spokesperson said. “Uber operates lawfully in London, is fully licensed by TfL, and is proud to serve millions of passengers and drivers across the capital.”
Uber has faced a series of disputes over its operations in London, with Transport for London (TfL) refusing to renew the company’s licence in 2017 because it did not consider the company responsible enough when it came to public safety.
The ride-hailing app successfully appealed the decision after renewal…
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