In Australia, Uber agreed to pay almost $228 million to settle a class action brought against it by taxi and hire car operators who lost their livelihoods due to the company’s aggressive expansion into the market.
The case was scheduled to go to trial on Monday, but lawyers for Maurice Blackburn said it would be dropped after the settlement was reached.
The settlement, which is regarded as the fifth-largest in Australia’s history, came five years after the legal action was launched on the behalf of thousands of taxi and hire car drivers.
According to Michael Donelly of Maurice Blackburn, the drivers lost their income and licenses due to Uber’s aggressive entry into the market.
After five years of refusing to do what’s right, Uber has finally caved in and agreed to a settlement that will put money back into the hands of the drivers who were affected by its operations.
According to Donelly, the company had shown a willingness to do the right thing, but it still refused to acknowledge the damage it had done to their livelihoods.
When Uber first started over a decade ago, there were no regulations in the world for ride-sharing services. Today, the company is regulated in every state and territory in Australia, and governments recognize its importance in the country’s transportation mix. According to Uber, the rise of ridesharing has brought about a variety of benefits for consumers and workers in the country.
In Australia, Uber has made a significant contribution to various compensation schemes established by the state governments. With today’s proposed settlement, these legacy issues are behind us. We will continue working to help the millions of Australians get around in a safe and reliable manner. The class action was able to successfully take on cases that had failed, such as those brought against governments in Western Australia, Queensland, and Victoria.