‘Gives us justification’: Angry bunch of taxi drivers wins payout in Uber legal row

Cabbies and hire-car drivers and owners who lost out in the introduction of Uber to Australia will share a colossal $271.8m compensation package.

Cabbies and hire-car drivers and owners who lost out in the introduction of Uber to Australia will share a colossal $271.8m compensation package after the appeal period in a world-first action expired last week. Picture: Tim Hunter

Cabbies and hire-car drivers and owners who lost out in the introduction of Uber to Australia will share a colossal $271.8m compensation package.

The massive victory for 8700 drivers and owners nationwide who registered to be involved in the class action has been confirmed after the appeal period in a world-first action expired last week.

Assessment will now begin to determine how much individual members of the action will receive.

Law firm Maurice Blackburn has been running the legal fight.

A total of 8700 drivers and owners nationwide registered to be involved in the class action over the harm done to the taxi industry after the introduction of Uber to Australia. Picture: Supplied

Former taxi driver and ex-Victorian member of parliament Rod Barton said the seven-year fight against Uber had been justified by the massive settlement.

“We’ve just got past the last hurdle and we will work towards distribution,” he said.

“But it doesn’t get close to the cost and harm that was done to this industry.

“No one is going to get Tattslotto amounts out of this but it gives us justification.

“The government failed the whole industry, they failed to protect us.

“And it’s really cool that an angry bunch of taxi drivers were able to drag a unicorn company into court and get this payout.”

Former taxi driver and ex-Victorian member of parliament Rod Barton. Picture: NewsWire/Paul Jeffers

Mr Barton said other class actions were being explored by taxi drivers in other jurisdictions.

“We set the wheels in motion,” he said.

Kim Adey, the manager of Maurice Blackburn’s settlement claims assessment team, said last week’s passage of the appeal period marked a significant step forward.

“There are thousands of claims to process, so the work will take some time and we will need some help from class members to finalise things along the way,” Ms Adey said.

“We’re really looking forward to the claims assessed and payments made as soon as possible.”

Originally published as ‘Gives us justification’: Angry bunch of taxi drivers wins payout in Uber legal row