SYDNEY (Reuters) – Uber (NYSE:) agreed to pay A$271.8 million ($178.3 million) to settle a lawsuit in Australia brought by taxi operators and drivers who said they lost income when the ride-hailing company moved to country. The law firm announced the news on Monday.
Maurice Blackburn’s lawyers launched a class action in 2019 in the Supreme Court of Victoria on behalf of more than 8,000 taxi and hire car owners and drivers, which the law firm said “Uber fought tooth and nail every step of the way.”
“Uber has made significant contributions to various state-level taxi compensation schemes since 2018, and with today’s proposed settlement, we firmly put these legacy issues in our past,” an Uber spokesperson said in an emailed response.
Uber did not disclose the proposed settlement in its response.
“Our group members were not asking for another set of excuses, but for results,” said Maurice Blackburn.
($1 = 1.5246 Australian dollars)