Full Breakdown
Uber Wins High Court Bid to Dismiss £340 million London Cab Drivers’ Lawsuit
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Court Rules Claims Time-Barred
On October 19, the High Court dismissed two linked actions brought by nearly 13,300 London black-cab drivers and a former private-hire operator, finding the claims were filed outside the six-year limitation period. Judge Simon Birt concluded that the claimants could, with reasonable diligence, have discovered the alleged fraud or concealment before June 25 / 26 2018, and therefore the lawsuits were time-barred. The ruling ends the attempt to recover roughly £340 million in damages.
Background & Context
Uber first obtained a private-hire licence from Transport for London (TfL) in 2012, entering a market long dominated by black-cab operators. The claimants alleged that Uber supplied “misleading and inaccurate information” to TfL about its booking system and the use of technologies such as “Greyball” and “Ripley,” arguing that without these alleged misrepresentations the licence would not have been granted. The allegations cover Uber’s activities from mid-2012 through 14 March 2018. The lawsuits were filed in 2024, more than six years after the earliest alleged misconduct.
Data & Statistics
- Number of claimants: about 13,300 black-cab drivers plus a claim on behalf of the defunct firms Kabbie and Iride.
- Damages sought: roughly £200 million from the drivers and £140 million from the private-hire firms, totaling about £340 million.
- Limitation period: six years under section 32 of the Limitation Act 1980; the court held discovery could have occurred by mid-2018.
Official Statements & Responses
- Transport for London: previously issued a decision letter in December 2017 concluding that Uber had provided “materially false and misleading information” about its booking system, a document the court cited in assessing the claimants’ knowledge.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the monetary value of the lawsuit:
- The BBC and Reuters describe the total claim as £340 million (? $453 million).
- ClaimsJournal reports the figure as £250 million (? $333 million).
- Both figures appear in reputable outlets, but the articles do not reconcile the discrepancy.
The court’s decision addressed only the limitation issue; it did not adjudicate whether Uber’s alleged misrepresentations occurred. Consequently, the substantive allegations remain unresolved.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They could have discovered it earlier, and more than six years before the first of the claim forms was issued. As a result, the claimants’ claims are time-barred,” — Judge Simon Birt
What’s Next
Uber is preparing to contest a separate tax dispute with HM Revenue & Customs that exceeds £1 billion. The outcome of that case will be closely watched as it could have significant financial implications for the company’s UK operations.
