A group of more than 10,000 black cab drivers are suing Uber after accusing the company of breaking London's taxi booking rules, a move that could cost the taxi giant more than $313 million.
A class action has been filed in the High Court over Uber's activities in the capital between May 2012 and March 2018.
The taxi drivers claim that Uber misled Transport for London (TfL) about how it managed its ride booking system, thereby breaching private hire licensing rules.
They claim the company allowed its drivers to accept bookings directly from customers, rather than going through a central system such as minicab services.
The legal claim says this booking system was “unlawful” because it did not comply with private hire rules, and that Uber deliberately misled TfL about how the system worked to obtain its licence.
The taxi drivers say they suffered losses during this period because they had fewer customers or had to work longer hours to compete with the popular app.
RGL Management has filed the class action, known as BULiT21, on behalf of London taxi drivers, who are instructed by lawyers from law firm Mishcon de Reya.
It is expected that the total claim value could exceed £250 million, with the claim for each taxi driver being up to £25,000.
An Uber spokesperson said: “These old claims are completely baseless.
“Uber operates legally in London, is fully licensed by TfL and is proud to serve millions of passengers and drivers in the capital.”
It is understood there has been no communication between Uber and RGL Management since the claims were first filed in 2019.
RGL Management said it believes up to 30,000 taxi drivers operating in London could be eligible to join the group and make a claim against Uber.
It is a call for more drivers to join the campaign in the coming weeks.
Michael Green, the director of RGL Management, said: “RGL is pleased to submit this claim form today on behalf of more than 10,500 London taxi drivers, a significant legal milestone in holding Uber to account for its failure to comply with relevant legislation in the UK . capital.
“There are still thousands of taxi drivers who are eligible to participate but have not yet done so. A cut-off date is fast approaching.
“RGL therefore urges drivers to register as soon as possible with BULiT21's legal action to join thousands of fellow taxi drivers in pursuing the losses suffered by Uber.”
Garry White, a black cab driver for 36 years, said the claim seeks “justice and fair compensation” on behalf of London drivers.
“Uber seems to believe this is above the law and taxi drivers across London have lost income as a result,” he said.
Uber has previously faced issues over its license to operate private hire vehicles in London.
In 2019, a license was refused by TfL over concerns that passenger safety had been breached and there were issues with transparency.
But it was allowed to continue operating and in 2022 it was granted a two-and-a-half-year license in London.
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