Ride share giant Uber will settle legal action and pay A$272 million ($178 million) to Australian taxi drivers and private hire operators.
A law firm representing 8,000 drivers claimed loss of earnings after Uber’s ‘aggressive’ entry into the Australian market.
“Uber fought tooth and nail at every point along the way,” Maurice Blackburn Lawyers said.
“Uber has made significant contributions into various state-level taxi compensation schemes, and with the settlement, we put these legacy issues firmly in our past,” Uber said.
The company says the settlement is still not fully finalised as it is awaiting court approval.
The class action suit was filed by drivers in 2019.
Lawyer Michael Donelly said: “What our group members asked for was not another set of excuses – but an outcome – we have delivered it for them.”
Uber has faced protests in numerous countries by the legacy public taxi industry.
However, a successful legal verdict like this is rare.
Last year, Uber won a lawsuit in a case brought by French taxi drivers.
