More than 10,000 London black cab drivers are taking Uber to court, claiming the ride-hailing company broke taxi-booking rules. This legal action could cost Uber over £250 million.
The drivers allege that Uber didn't play by the rules when it came to booking rides in London between May 2012 and March 2018. They say Uber lets its drivers directly accept bookings from customers, bypassing the usual central booking system.
According to the cabbies, this move hurt their business, either by reducing their number of customers or forcing them to work longer hours to compete with Uber.
The legal action, named BULiT21, is led by RGL Management and supported by law firm Mishcon de Reya. They expect the total claim value to exceed £250 million, with each driver potentially receiving up to £25,000 in compensation.
Uber, however, denies these claims, stating it operates within the law and holds a valid license from Transport for London (TfL).
RGL Management believes up to 30,000 cab drivers could be eligible to join the case against Uber and is urging more to come forward.
Michael Green, director of RGL Management said: “RGL is pleased to file this claim form today on behalf of over 10,500 London cabbies, a major legal milestone in holding Uber to account for its failure to comply with the relevant legislation in the UK’s capital.
“There are still thousands of cabbies eligible to join who have not yet done so. A cut-off date is fast approaching.
“RGL, therefore, urges drivers to register with the BULiT21 legal action as soon as possible to join with thousands of fellow cabbies in the pursuit of losses suffered at the hands of Uber.”
One veteran black cab driver, Garry White, said the claim seeks “justice and fair compensation” on behalf of London drivers.
“Uber seems to believe it is above the law and cabbies across London have suffered loss of earnings because of it,” he said.
Uber has had licensing issues in the past, with TfL denying its license in 2019 over safety and transparency concerns. Despite this setback, Uber continued operating and later secured a renewed license for two-and-a-half years in 2022.