Uber has secured a High Court ruling against two lawsuits brought by taxi industry claimants, including nearly 13,300 London black cab drivers. The claims concerned allegations about Uber’s entry into the capital’s private hire market and were valued by the company at about £340 million. Mr Justice Birt ruled on 19 October that the claims were time-barred. The judgment followed a trial of a preliminary issue at the Commercial Court, held over three days in June and July. The

A passenger asking for a £5 journey can be less attractive than somebody heading 20 miles towards the airport. At a taxi rank, however, commercial preference does not necessarily provide a lawful choice between them. Outside London, section 53 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 remains the foundation of the refusal rule in many licensing areas. It applies where a hackney carriage driver at an appointed stand or in a street refuses, without reasonable excuse, to drive to a de

Genuinely voluntary tips from passengers do not count towards a taxi driver’s VAT registration threshold, but the £90,000 threshold is based on taxable turnover, so drivers can cross it well before their business makes £90,000 in profit. The compulsory registration threshold is exceeded when a business’s taxable turnover goes above £90,000 over a rolling 12-month period. A separate test applies if a business expects its taxable turnover to exceed £90,000 in the next 30 days a