Uber agrees to pay $178 million to Australia taxi drivers

Uber has agreed to pay A$271.8m ($178.3m; £140m) to settle a lawsuit in Australia, according to the Law Society for Taxi Operators and Drivers.

Maurice Blackburn attorneys filed the class action on behalf of more than 8,000 taxi and rental car owners and drivers.

The lawsuit alleges that they lost revenue when the ride-hailing giant “aggressively” moved into the country.

“Uber fought tooth and nail at every point along the way,” the law firm said.

“Since 2018, Uber has made significant contributions to various state-level taxi compensation programs, and with today's proposed settlement, we put these legacy issues firmly in our past.” Uber said in a statement.

The company did not disclose the size of the proposed settlement.

“It is inappropriate to comment on the details until the agreement is finalized and the settlement disclosed to the court,” it said.

A class action against Uber was filed in 2019 in the Supreme Court of the State of Victoria, Australia.

“This case has succeeded where many others have failed. In Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, cases have been brought against governments and they have all failed,” Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Michael Donnelly said.

“What our board members asked for was not another excuse — but an outcome — and we've delivered that for them today,” he added.

The court still needs to approve the proposed settlement in the best interests of the team members before any payment is made.

San Francisco-based Uber, founded in 2009, operates in about 70 countries and more than 10,000 cities worldwide.

Over the years, it has faced protests from taxi drivers in cities around the world.

In December 2023, the company won a lawsuit brought against it by 2,500 taxi drivers in France.

The Paris Commercial Court ruled that Uber did not engage in unfair competitive practices.

Taxi drivers have claimed €455m ($495.4m; £389m).