Source: AFP
Australian taxi drivers affected by the rise of ride-hailing giant Uber have won $178 million in damages, their lawyers said on Monday after settling a grueling legal battle.
More than 8,000 taxi drivers and rental car owners banded together to launch legal action in 2019, claiming they lost significant income when Uber entered Australia in 2012.
Lead lawyer Michael Donelly said the A$271.8 million (US$178.3 million) settlement was the “fifth highest class action settlement in Australian legal history”.
“Uber fought tooth and nail every step of the way, every day, for five years on foot — trying at every turn to deny our team members any form of treatment or compensation for their losses,” said Donelly. from law firm Maurice Blackburn.
“But on the courtroom steps and after years of refusing to do right by those we say they have harmed, Uber has turned a blind eye and thousands of everyday Australians have come together to stare down a global giant.”
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/630e97523267d204.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/630e97523267d204.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
Read also
Italy fines TikTok β¬10m for failing to protect minors
The lawyers alleged that Uber engaged in “a variety of appalling behavior” when it launched in the country, including using “unlicensed cars with unaccredited drivers.”
Taxi driver Nick Andrianakis told reporters he was forced to close his taxi business of 40 years when Uber started.
“I lost my passion for work … and I lost my income that put food on the table for my family,” he said.
Uber said it was “inappropriate” to comment on the size of the settlement until it is signed in court.
βWhen Uber started more than a decade ago, ridesharing regulations did not exist anywhere in the world, let alone in Australia.
“Today is different and Uber is now regulated in every state and territory across Australia and governments recognize us as an important part of the country’s transport mix.”
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/19977afb6b0809d1.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/19977afb6b0809d1.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
Read also
Musk visits Tesla’s German factory hit by sabotage
The US-based company, valued at $157 billion, said it had made “significant contributions” to Australia’s taxi compensation systems.
Source: AFP