Uber Fends Off £340 Million Lawsuits from London Taxi Drivers

Uber secured a significant legal victory at London's High Court on Monday. The court dismissed two related claims filed against the company, in which thousands of London black cab drivers and two former private hire companies sought a combined total of roughly £340 million ($453 million) in compensation.

The claims against Uber were filed in 2024 and concerned how the company obtained its private hire licence in London in 2012. The claimants alleged that Uber had provided Transport for London with misleading and inaccurate information.

One of the claims filed with the court was brought on behalf of around 13,000 taxi drivers and sought nearly £200 million in damages. The other claim represented two now-defunct companies, Kabbie and Iride, and sought approximately £140 million.

Uber denied the allegations and further argued that the claims had been filed after the expiry of the six-year statutory limitation period.

In his written ruling, Judge Simon Birt found that the claimants could have become aware of the alleged deception as early as 2018 — more than six years before the claims were filed. Accordingly, the court dismissed the claims on limitation grounds and did not rule on the substance of the allegations themselves.

A representative for Uber welcomed the decision, stating that the court had thrown out all the claims at an early stage, bringing an end to the company's long-running legal disputes on the matter.

RGL Management, which represented the claimants, expressed disappointment and said it would consult with its legal team on appealing the decision and exploring other possible legal avenues.

The dispute concerned the information Uber submitted when obtaining its licence in 2012. Since then, the company has captured a significant share of London's traditional black cab market, further intensifying competition between traditional drivers and the new digital platform.

However, Uber's legal challenges are far from over. Next week, the company will face an even larger dispute in London, this time with Britain's tax authority. The dispute is valued at more than £1 billion.