Uber Settles Lawsuit With Australian Taxi Drivers for $178 Million

Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) reportedly will pay AUD$272 million ($178 million) to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by thousands of Australian taxi drivers, who allege they lost income when the ride-sharing company entered the country.

The Australian lawsuit, filed in 2019, was on behalf of more than 8,000 taxi and hire-car owners and drivers who lost income and license values when Uber moved into the Australian market, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited the law firm representing the drivers.

The law firm, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, called it a “historic world-first class action settlement,” the Journal said.

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

The ride-hailing app said that while it has reached an in-principle settlement, it “would be inappropriate to comment on specifics until the agreement is finalised and the settlement is disclosed to the court.”

Shares of Uber were down 1.5% at $74.89 as of 10:14 a.m. ET Monday but have gained more than 28% in 2024.