Support for cabbies group action against Uber gathers pace as 6,000 drivers pledge their interest
Support for legal action against ride-hailing firm Uber has gathered pace as over 6,000 licensed taxi drivers pledge their interest in the claim for compensation. The capital’s cabbies are coming together as Cabbie Group Action to bring a potential group legal action against Uber worth over £500 million for damages and loss of earnings due to the alleged unlawful operation of Uber under the relevant statutory framework. The Group Action will bring a claim in the High Court by licensed taxi drivers in London against Uber for loss of income on the basis that Uber has operated unlawfully under the relevant statutory framework between mid-2012 to at least the end of 2017, with the intention of causing loss to the licensed taxi trade. Supported by leading law firm Mishcon de Reya, the claim is being officially backed by a wide variety of organisations involved in the licensed cab trade, including: Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the LTDA, said: “You will recall that we recently launched the first phase of exploring a group legal action against Uber. We’re working across London’s cab trade to demand back the loss of earnings our drivers have suffered as a result of Uber’s intentionally illegal operation in London. “Thanks to everyone who has registered their interest in taking part – almost one in five cabbies in London have already signed up to support the action and find out more. “The whole trade really is coming together on this. Not only is the LTDA backing the group action, but we have the support of all the other trade groups including Unite, UCG, LCDC; fleet operators KPM Automotive, Easyrentacab and Colts Cabs; journos like TaxiPoint, taxi ad firm Ubiquitous and Martin Cordell - the list goes on. Never has our trade been so united. “Together we have the best chance of proving the extent to which we have suffered at the hands of Uber. The press quickly jumped on this and we got lots of coverage across the board: everyone from Sky News to the BBC, London Live and LBC was interested.” For those who haven’t yet done so, you can register your interest at www.cabbiegroupaction.com to hear more about how to take part in the group action. If you don’t have access to the internet or need help signing up, the LTDA have kindly offered their help. You can drop by Taxi House in W9, go to their offices at Heathrow, or call them on 020 7286 1046 where they’ll post you a form. McNamara added “Let’s get as many people as possible involved so we can put forward the best case against Uber and demonstrate its impact on our livelihoods.”