Key facts
- Uber faces a £340 million lawsuit from 13,000 black cab drivers and two former private hire operators.
- The lawsuit alleges Uber operated unlawfully in London between 2012 and March 2018.
- Uber has called the claims "completely unfounded" and stated it operates lawfully.
- A preliminary hearing is determining if the claims are time-barred under the six-year limitation period.
- Uber argues that public material and regulatory actions years prior provided drivers with notice to investigate.
Uber has labelled a £340 million lawsuit brought by 13,000 black cab drivers and two former private hire operators as "completely unfounded" as the case reaches its preliminary hearing at the High Court. The drivers allege that Uber unlawfully obtained and operated under its Transport for London (TfL) licence between 2012 and March 2018, resulting in millions of pounds in lost earnings.
Uber's defence hinges on the argument that the proceedings, issued in 2024, fall outside the six-year limitation period. The company contends that extensive public material, including regulatory investigations, court cases, and campaigns by taxi trade bodies, existed years before the lawsuit was filed, providing claimants with ample opportunity to investigate and bring their claims sooner. Uber's legal team pointed to TfL's 2017 decision to refuse Uber London's licence renewal as a key moment that should have put drivers on notice.
Furthermore, Uber claims the drivers have shifted their argument, now alleging wrongdoing was discovered after the 2018 licensing appeal, a position undermined by contemporaneous documents. These documents reportedly show their solicitors, Mishcon de Reya, were investigating a potential class action and that litigation funder Harbour had approached the firm in late 2017, with drivers being contacted and financial information collected before the June 2018 licensing appeal.
For this preliminary trial, the court is directed to assume the core allegations of Uber's unlawful operating model and misrepresentation to regulators are true. The sole focus is on whether the claimants could have reasonably brought their case sooner. If Uber successfully argues the case is time-barred, the entire £340 million claim will be dismissed without a review of the underlying allegations' merit. Should the drivers overcome this legal hurdle, the case will proceed to examine the lawfulness of Uber's conduct and the entitlement to damages.