Sydney:
Australian taxi drivers hit by the rise of ride-hailing giant Uber have won $178 million in compensation, their lawyers said on Monday after settling a grueling legal battle.
More than 8,000 taxi drivers and rental car owners banded together to take legal action in 2019, arguing they lost significant income when Uber entered Australia in 2012.
Lead counsel Michael Donelly said the A$271.8 million (US$178.3 million) settlement was the “fifth highest class action settlement in Australian legal history”.
“Uber fought tooth and nail at every point along the way, every day, for the five years this has been on foot – and at every turn tried to deny our group members any remedy or compensation for their losses,” Donelly said. from law firm Maurice Blackburn.
“But on the courtroom steps and after years of refusal to do the right thing by those we say have harmed, Uber blinked and thousands of ordinary Australians came together to stare down a global giant. “
Lawyers alleged that Uber engaged in “a variety of shocking conduct” when it launched in the country, including using “unlicensed cars and unaccredited drivers.”
Taxi driver Nick Andrianakis told reporters he was forced to close his four-decade taxi business when Uber launched.
“I lost my passion for work… and I lost my income, which put food on the table for my family,” he said.
Uber said it was “inappropriate” to comment on the size of the settlement until it was signed by the court.
“When Uber started over a decade ago, ride-sharing regulations did not exist anywhere in the world, let alone in Australia.
“Today is different, and Uber is now regulated in every state and territory across Australia, and governments recognize us as an important part of the country's transport mix.”
The US-based company, valued at $157 billion, said it had made “significant contributions” to Australia's taxi compensation schemes.
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