Uber defeats £340m black cab claims over late filing in court
Uber has won a High Court bid to dismiss claims worth about £340m from thousands of London black cab drivers and two former private hire firms. They alleged it gave Transport for London misleading information when first seeking a London operating licence in 2012, but the judge ruled the cases were brought too late and did not assess whether the allegations were true.
About 13,000 drivers sought nearly £200m, while the firms Kabbie and Iride sought about £140m; both have since closed. Filed in 2024, the claims were challenged by Uber as outside the six-year time limit. Mr Justice Birt said the claimants could have discovered the alleged deception before 2018. Uber welcomed the ruling, while the claims’ manager said it was disappointed and was considering its options. Uber faces a separate tax dispute with HMRC worth more than £1bn.
- Court dismisses £340m claims against Uber as out of time.
- The judge did not rule on whether the allegations were true.
- Uber faces a separate HMRC tax dispute worth over £1bn.
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Transport for London (TfL) regulates taxi and private hire services in the capital. Black cab drivers can pick up passengers on the street, while app-based private hire firms such as Uber must be licensed by TfL and take bookings in advance.
When Uber sought its first London licence in 2012, black cab drivers and two private hire firms later alleged that it had misled TfL. The drivers and firms brought legal claims seeking compensation, arguing that the alleged conduct harmed their businesses. The firms, Kabbie and Iride, have since closed.
The case involved questions about when the claimants could reasonably have learned of the alleged deception and the legal deadline for bringing a claim. Such time limits help determine whether a court can hear a case, separately from whether the allegations are true.
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Originally published by BBC Technology as “Uber wins bid to throw out £340m black cab claims”.