UK Court Dismisses £340 Million Lawsuit by London Black Cab Drivers Against Uber

Uber Technologies Inc. won a bid on Monday to throw out two linked lawsuits seeking around £340 million (US$453 million) brought by thousands of London black cab drivers and two former private hire companies. Judge Simon Birt of London's High Court ruled that the claims were filed after the six-year limitation period for bringing such a claim had expired.

Limitation Period Ruling

The lawsuits were lodged in 2024. The claimants alleged that Uber gave "misleading and inaccurate information" to Transport for London when it first became licensed as a private hire operator in 2012. The drivers and companies accused Uber of wrongly securing its London operating license and illegally diverting business away from conventional taxi operators.

Judge Birt stated in a written ruling that the claimants could have discovered the alleged deception before 2018, which was six years before the lawsuits were filed. Consequently, he dismissed the claims on limitation grounds without considering the merits of the case. "As a result, the claimants' claims are time-barred," Birt said, according to Bloomberg.

Breakdown of Claims

The legal action consisted of two distinct parts:

• Black Cab Drivers: A claim seeking damages of nearly £200 million on behalf of around 13,000 black cab drivers.
• Former Companies: A separate claimant suing on behalf of two now-defunct companies, Kabbie and Iride, seeking around £140 million.

Mishcon de Reya, which acted for the claimants, first notified Uber of the claim by letter in 2019. According to Bloomberg, once a litigation funder pulled out of the case, the firm stayed silent on the possible claim, sending Uber nothing further for four and a half years.

Reactions and Next Steps

Uber denied the allegations and argued that the lawsuits should be thrown out due to the timing. "We are pleased that the court has dismissed all of these claims entirely at the earliest opportunity and the ruling today has put these legacy matters firmly in the past," an Uber spokesperson said.

RGL Management Ltd., the firm running the claim, expressed disappointment with the outcome. "We are obviously very disappointed and are considering all options available to the claimant cab drivers with the legal team," a spokesperson for RGL Management said.

Why it matters

This ruling concludes a specific legal chapter for Uber in London, though the company faces other significant legal challenges. The case adds to a series of disputes for Uber in the city, where it previously prevailed in 2017 and 2019 against Transport for London's decision not to extend its license. Additionally, the company had to rework its business operations after the U.K. Supreme Court decided its drivers had to be treated as workers. The dismissal comes just ahead of a separate, larger tax dispute involving Uber and the British tax authority, valued at more than £1 billion.

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Sources

• qz.com: Uber wins dismissal of London black cab drivers' £250 million suit
• theedgemalaysia.com: Uber wins bid to throw out UK mass lawsuit by black cab drivers

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.