Sydney, March 19th (Xinhua Finance) - Maurice Blackburn, an Australian law firm, announced on March 18th that Uber, a US ride hailing service operator, has agreed to compensate Australian taxi drivers with approximately $178 million. This will become the fifth largest class action settlement in Australian legal history.
The chief lawyer of the firm, Michael Donally, stated that reaching a settlement was a result that took five years, and Uber had refused to provide remedies or compensation to the affected groups.
In 2019, Morris Blackburn Law Firm represented over 8000 Australian taxi owners and drivers in a lawsuit against Uber in the Victoria Supreme Court, alleging that the company's strong entry into the Australian market had caused economic losses to taxi industry practitioners.
It is reported that Uber lacked legal regulation after entering Australia in 2012. Until 2015, the Australian Capital Territory amended its laws to allow Uber and other carpooling services to operate legally locally.
Uber responded in a statement that it hopes to pass on the "legacy issues" through a new settlement plan and remains committed to helping millions of Australian consumers travel in a safe, affordable, and reliable manner.